Durban – The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (Saambr) decided to spread the love on Valentine’s Day by ‘adopting’ two rescued penguins from the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob).
Saambr’s Ann Kunz welcomed Sherlock and Holmes to the Saambr family on Tuesday.
“These two love-birds will be our very own detectives – helping to solve the mystery and enormous challenge of how to restore the African penguin population,” Kunz said.
“The adoption fee is considered as a donation, that helps cover the cost of fish, medication, water and other essentials to help our penguins grow strong enough at Sanccob for release back into the wild,” Kunz explained.
She said anyone can adopt a penguin or egg to support saving the African penguin by hopping over to www.sanccob.co.za to show some penguin love.
Kunz thanked Sanccob saves seabirds for the incredible work that it does.
According to the adoption certificate, Sherlock was admitted on November 21, 2022, at Sanccob after being found on Stony Point in the Western Cape. At the date of admission, Sherlock was a chick and was abandoned due to moulting parents.
Sherlock was adopted by Saambr on February 14, 2023.
According to the second adoption certificate, Holmes was admitted on November 14, 2022, and was also found on Stony Point in the Western Cape. Holmes was also a chick at the time of admission and was abandoned due to moulting parents.
Holmes was adopted by Saambr on February 14, 2023.
According to Saambr, the African penguin is an endangered species as numbers in the wild have dropped dramatically over the past 100 years. It is also known as the jackass penguin because of its donkey-like bray. The African penguin is the only species that breeds on the African continent.
The uShaka Sea World penguin exhibit is home to a thriving colony of African penguins. This exhibit has been specially designed to ensure that the birds receive the best possible care. African penguins have been housed by uShaka Sea World since 1980 when the first stranded birds were received. Since then the colony has grown from strength to strength and hundreds of penguins have hatched successfully.
The programme is now so successful that birds are sent to supplement the gene pools of other ex-situ breeding colonies.
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