Wednesday 22 January 2014
SABC
Over the last century 99 % of the entire African penguin population has been lost. (REUTERS)
The Southern African Foundation for
Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) has expressed concern at the
number of abandoned penguin chicks it has received during this year's
breeding season.
Over the last century 99 % of the entire African penguin population has been lost. Listed in the Red Data Book as endangered, less than 19 000 breeding pairs remain in the wild.
The African Penguin species is an early warning system for environmental threats, if penguins are in trouble, the marine ecosystem is also affected.
The abandoned chicks and eggs are taken to SANCCOB's rehabilitation centres where over 800 chicks are being taken care of.
Research shows that hand reared chicks fare just as well as wild chicks and with rapidly dwindling numbers it's crucial to save every bird.
“The parents go into moult and can no longer feed them and without intervention, they will die. They are highly endangered and this is part of conservation interventions," says Rehabilitation Manager, Nicky Stander.
Rehabilitation can take anything from 6 to 12 weeks depending on the bird’s size and condition.
No comments:
Post a Comment