African penguin

African penguins love fish and so do we.

Humans and penguins are competing for food from the oceans but how can these petite birds win when they are up against large fishing trawlers with unsustainable fishing practices?

These penguins burrow in guano (sea birds’ droppings) but guano collection for use as fertiliser has taken the roof off their nests.

Left at the mercy of the weather, heat stress and rainstorms force some birds to abandon their nests. Their eggs and chicks become open targets for gulls and wild cats.

In 2000, an oil spill affected 21,500 penguins. We sent two keepers and a vet to aid in the rescue mission.

About 500 birds had to be cleaned a day and all oil and detergent removed before their release.

Over 90% of the oiled birds were saved, when usually only 50% of birds affected in a spill survive.

Besides oil spills and overfishing, the penguins also have to contend with predation from fur seals and sharks.

Despite efforts to protect them, their population continues to plummet. In 2024, the IUCN reclassified them from endangered to critically endangered.