Heavy downpours across the Western Cape flood African penguin nests
Cape Town - The recent heavy rains across the Western Cape have caused the flooding of endangered African penguin nests, resulting in parents abandoning their chicks, and chicks being displaced.
Since the last week of May, more than 50 chick carcasses have been found after drowning due to the flooding.
This is according to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) and conservation authorities.
So far, 174 chicks and 28 eggs have been successfully rescued and admitted to Sanccob Cape Town, and 39 chicks were admitted to Sanccob Gqeberha.
Sanccob, in partnership with conservation authorities such as the City, CapeNature, Robben Island Museum and SANParks, continues to retrieve chicks and eggs from flooded nests and transport them to Sanccob where at-risk chicks can be hand-reared and rehabilitated.
Sanccob resource development manager Ronnis Daniels said: “We are observing an increased number of abandoned penguins due to weather events, more so during the winter months, as the climate changes. It is therefore expected that we will continue to experience these events in future, indicating the requirement to plan accordingly.”
Alexis Osborne, Sanccob’s conservation impact manager, said: “This data (of deceased drowned chicks) includes drownings from Stony Point, Betty’s Bay and Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town.
The carcasses are recorded by our penguin and seabird rangers who work in the colonies; however, there are some incidents where drowned chicks are predated on before it is recorded. Not all flooding events lead to drowning.”
Other fatalities are due to chicks being cold and wet and unable to cope with such conditions.
Deputy mayor and Spatial Planning and Environment Mayco member Eddie Andrews said the City, in partnership with Sanccob, employs four penguin rangers who work seven days a week to carry out the daily monitoring, rescue and relocation of penguins at risk throughout the Simon’s Town penguin colony areas.
“The penguin rangers monitor nests on a daily basis during wet/ cold/stormy weather events, especially when these are prolonged,” he said.
In the event of the rangers finding penguins nests in areas that are at imminent risk of flooding they will assess and remove any chicks/eggs that are at risk – this is usually after the first winter rains and penguin rangers can identify nesting areas affected by water pooling or direct run-off.
Katta Ludynia, Sanccob’s research manager, said: “These extreme weather events definitely pose a threat to the breeding success of this threatened species, that’s why Sanccob is committed to work with the managing authorities to rescue and hand-rear these penguins, while also supporting habitat improvements to prevent the flooding of nests.”
Sanccob appealed to the public for support in its conservation efforts.
It is currently looking for volunteers (who must be over 18 years old) and financial support.
Those interested in volunteering can WhatsApp 076 682 5130. To make donations see www.sanccob.co.za to contribute to fish and rehabilitation consumables.
kristin.engel@inl.co.za