SANCCOB’s seabird hospitals in the Western and Eastern Cape provide life-saving care to South Africa’s critically endangered African penguins. Picture: SANCCOB
South Africa’s African penguins - a now critically endangered species - are receiving vital care from the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).
Operating seabird hospitals in the Western and Eastern Cape, SANCCOB rescues nearly two thousand seabirds annually, giving them a chance at survival. Yet the grim reality remains — without a sustainable environment, these efforts may fall short of saving the species.
Dr David Roberts, SANCCOB’s seabird veterinarian, has been treating African penguins and other seabirds since 2017. He notes the organisation’s profound impact, describing his work as “an opportunity to contribute to conserving endangered species”.
His team handles everything from wound treatments to complex surgeries.
“Some penguins require multiple procedures before they’re ready for release. One bird needed 13 surgeries,” Roberts explains.
SANCCOB’s work goes beyond medical treatment. Conservation teams rescue and rehabilitate penguins in the wild, raise chicks, educate communities, and engage with environmental partners.
Volunteers, interns, and first responders are critical to these operations, offering hands-on support for seabird rescues and daily care.
The African penguin faces an alarming 7.9% annual decline in its South African population, with only 8,300 breeding pairs remaining. Habitat destruction and scarcity of key food sources, like sardines and anchovies, due to commercial fishing near breeding grounds, are driving this decline.
Despite the establishment of no-take fishing zones, studies reveal that these zones are insufficient, risking the species’ extinction by 2035.
Roberts emphasises that the African penguin’s plight is an urgent call to action.
“As an indicator species, the African penguin reflects the health of its ecosystem.
“If ever there was a time for all sectors of society to unite to save our planet, it’s now,” he says.
His warning underlines the broader environmental issues facing South Africa’s oceans, which threaten the future of these endangered seabirds.
IOL