CapeNature and SANCCOB have collaborated to provide locals with an opportunity to protect the African penguin at Penguin Palooza.
Attendees stand a chance to win a penguin box tipping experience and release an African Penguin back into the wild, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: African penguins are fighting to survive: 4 ways we can help save them
The African Penguin is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters.
With less than 8 750 breeding pairs left along the South African coastline, the African penguin faces a critical decline of 8% annually. If this downward trend continues, the species is projected to become extinct in the wild by 2035.
Factors which contribute to this oncoming extinction date include the limited availability of food, pollution, climate change, oil spills and predation.
Commenting on the pressing issue, Dr Ashley Naidoo, the CEO of CapeNature, stated ‘if we do not collectively work together to ensure the survival of these seabirds, we may soon face a future where these penguins will no longer be found in their natural habitats.’
CapeNature in collaboration with SANCCOB is working relentlessly to rehabilitate ill or injured penguins and to nurture them until they can be released back into the wild.
Stony Point, the nature reserve wherein this year’s Penguin Palooza will be held, hosts one of the few remaining key colonies where these efforts are focused.
Penguin Palooza offers the public the rare opportunity to see the release of these birds and showcases the collaborative environmental efforts of conservation entities.
The event is set to take place in the scenic Stony Point Nature Reserve and is dedicated to raising awareness about endangered African Penguins.
Events of this nature inspire awareness, encourage collective action to address the challenges facing marine ecosystems and ensure a brighter future for these remarkable species.
So, locals have been invited to bring along their family and friends for a day of fun, education, and making a difference for the marine wildlife!
Details:
- Location: Stony Point Nature Reserve | 2411 Wallers Rd, Betty’s Bay, 7141
- Time: 10am
- Cost: Free
Also read:
DA in full support of plans to save endangered African penguins
Picture: David Silverman / Gallo Images
