New nursery opens in Cape Town for endangered African Penguins
The African penguin population has been in decline, with climate change, food shortages, and commercial fishing threatening their survival.
Nicky Stander, from the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, says the initiative is a necessary step.
'While it sounds very cute to have a seabird nursery, we should not have to do this,' she says.
According to Stander the pressures in the wild mean penguins are not coping.
She says there is a lack of food, and sardines being the penguins main food, are unfortunately heavily over fished.
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CAPE TOWN – A new state-run seabird nursery has been opened in Cape Town to incubate and hand-rear critically endangered African penguins. The African penguin population has been in decline, with climate change, food shortages, and commercial fishing threatening their survival. Nicky Stander, from the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, says the initiative is a necessary step. 'While it sounds very cute to have a seabird nursery, we should not have to do this,' she says. According to Stander the pressures in the wild mean penguins are not coping. She says there is a lack of food, and sardines being the penguins main food, are unfortunately heavily over fished.
