African Penguins on endangered list

Jul 2, 2010 11:20 AM | By Sapa

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BirdLife International has reclassified the remaining populations of African Penguins around the tip of Africa from "Vulnerable" to "Endangered" in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) worldwide Red List, following a population fall of more than 50% in 30 years.

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African penguins play with a small "soccer" ball during an event at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo.
Photograph by: YURIKO NAKAO
Credit: REUTERS

 

 

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust was instrumental in raising awareness and prompting the change in status ‘ Threat to breeding colonies’.
There are now fewer than 26,000 breeding pairs of African Penguins on the islands and coastal colonies around the coast of Southern Africa.
These numbers have fallen by more than 80% in 50 years – a loss equivalent to almost 100 birds a week! And the appalling fall in numbers is showing no sign of slowing.
Last month, Bird Island has lost almost 500 penguin chicks to the recent cold and wet weather in South Africa, and more have died on St Croix Island.

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