Flightless fight: Inside the African penguin's battle for survival

The National

17-04-2025

Cape Town, with its stunning landscapes, lush greenery and idyllic white sand beaches, is often voted one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Along with its warm climate and sunny blue skies, it has long been a haven for travellers seeking respite from frosty northern hemisphere winters. But it's not just tourists catching waves and soaking up the sun; the region is also home to the African penguin – the continent's only species. This unique bird, typically associated with colder climates, has long captivated locals and visitors as they bask in the sun on Boulders Beach in the picturesque seaside village of Simon's Town. However, it's not all sunshine and selfies for Africa's only penguin – out of 18 penguin species worldwide, it is currently the only one facing extinction. African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) inhabit only the western coastal regions of South Africa and neighbouring Namibia. These small, flightless birds, famous for their adorable waddle, are distinguished by their striking black-and-white plumage, distinctive chest stripe, and pink, featherless skin around their eyes. However, African penguins are facing an alarming population decline – and fast. The International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified them as critically endangered at Cop16, marking a sobering reality in the species' fight for survival. Recent reports indicate a staggering 97 per cent decline in the African penguin population, which is decreasing at a rate of about eight per cent annually. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, fewer than 19,800 adult African penguins remain in the wild, with about 9,900 breeding pairs left. This marks a significant drop from historical population levels, having been estimated at 141,000 breeding pairs in 1956. If this trend continues, the African penguin could face extinction as soon as 2035. Fortunately, thousands of volunteers, donors, and avid bird enthusiasts are joining the penguins in their fight for survival, including BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB, both international non-profit organisations committed to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of seabirds in South Africa. According to SANCCOB research manager Lisa Nupen, the rapid decline in the penguin population is rooted in a combination of human activities and environmental changes. 'The crisis is driven primarily by their lack of access to prey, which the no-take zones for commercial fisheries seek to address,' Nupen tells The National. 'African penguins face numerous other threats too, including climate change, emerging diseases like avian influenza and disturbances from ship-to-ship refuelling and seismic surveys. Oil spills pose a significant risk too, while predation adds further pressure on their populations.' Alistair McInnes, head of the Seabird Conservation Programme at BirdLife South Africa, believes that humans continue to pose the greatest threat to penguins. 'The offshore transfer of fuel, known as ship-to-ship bunkering, near St Croix Island – once home to the largest colony of African penguins – has severely impacted this once-thriving population,' says McInnes. 'The noise and oil pollution resulting from this activity have contributed to a significant decline in the penguin colony.' The plight of the African penguin is fast gaining international traction, including the attention of Emmy and Bafta award-winning British wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory, who travelled to Cape Town to film the seabirds for his new National Geographic series, Secrets of the Penguins (premiering in the UAE on April 25). 'I love penguins in general, but the African penguin is particularly charming,' the British environmentalist tells The National. 'It's an animal of contrast. On one hand, they're goofy and clumsy, falling all over the place seemingly out of control, but at the same time, they're amazing free-divers who can withstand some of the toughest conditions on earth. Their situation just seems so unlikely, yet here we are.' South Africans are also devastated by the threat of losing their beloved penguins. Travel operator Jonathan Lechtman, founder of Travel Republic Africa, has grown up with the adorable seabirds on his doorstep and now regularly takes his international tour groups to see them up close. 'It's one of the top things to do and see when visiting Cape Town, so losing them would be devastating to the tourism industry, local communities, and, most importantly, to the ecosystem,' says Lechtman. 'If the penguin colony were to become extinct, it would undoubtedly affect Cape Town's tourism, if not South Africa's.' McInnes agrees. He also believes the pros of penguin tourism far outweigh the cons, so there is no need to feel guilty if you want to pop by to see the birds during your next visit to Cape Town. 'While there are localised threats due to tourism, such as noise disturbances, these concerns are minor when contrasted with the more significant challenges they face,' says Dr McInnes. 'Penguin-related tourism generates much-needed revenue for South Africans, which is another important reason to ensure that this species does not go extinct.' It's no surprise that bird lovers from across the globe are stepping forward to assist the African penguins in their battle to survive. In addition to providing international supporters the chance to make donations and even adopt a penguin, SANCCOB offers local and international volunteer programmes for those who want to get involved firsthand. 'Our volunteer programmes offer a unique opportunity for individuals to play an important role in seabird conservation,' says SANCCOB's head of volunteering, Lizelle van der Merwe. 'Our volunteer and intern programmes work towards building skills and knowledge in seabird rehabilitation, education and research.' United by their passion for the penguins, SANCCOB recently teamed up with BirdLife to tackle the pressing issue of overfishing. With support from the Biodiversity Law Centre, they successfully filed a lawsuit against the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment regarding its policy on island closures for purse-seine fishing. The lawsuit called for the replacement of the current no-take zones for commercial fishing with scientifically informed alternatives, which would be better suited to the penguins' critical feeding areas while also minimising the economic impact on the purse-seine fishing industry. 'We are pleased about the recent settlement because it secures biologically meaningful foraging areas for African penguins for the next decade,' says Nupen. 'The court order defines no-take zones for commercial fisheries around six key African Penguin breeding colonies. We hope that this will help bring the species back from the brink of extinction.' While things certainly haven't been easy for Africa's only penguin over the years, experts remain optimistic. 'African penguins are long-lived and breed slowly, so the process will not be quick, but with proper long-term management, it is possible to halt and even reverse the population decline,' Nupen says with optimism. Documentarian Gregory firmly believes their future is in our hands. 'It's fairly straightforward to be honest,' he says bluntly. 'If we want to live in a world with African penguins, we need to start looking after them better. Stop fishing their food and stop trashing their nesting habitats.' While the penguins are great for tourism and Instagram photos, their survival goes far beyond that. 'We don't just want to look after these African penguins because they're cute and make us feel warm and fuzzy inside – penguins are indicators of ocean health,' says Gregory. 'We, as humans, need healthy oceans, so selfishly, our successes and future are tied to that of the penguin.' SANCCOB's Nupen agrees. 'African penguins have shown remarkable resilience in the face of historic and contemporary threats to their survival – their status provides insight into the state of our oceans,' she says. 'They need and deserve our support now more than ever.'