Saving endangered African penguins with SANCCOB

Anthony Nelson, an animal keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Colorado), gives his perspective on volunteering at SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the organisation's keeper exchange programme involving endangered African penguins.
The iconic African penguin is the only penguin species to naturally occur on the African continent. It was once one of South Africa’s most abundant seabirds, but has suffered a massive population decline. During the early 20th century the population was estimated at one million breeding pairs, however, today the total estimate (including Namibia) is less than 25 000 breeding pairs with only 19 284 breeding pairs recorded in South Africa in 2015 (South African Department of Environmental Affairs: Oceans and Coasts). As such, the present population represents approximately only 2% of its prevalence some 80 years ago.
Established in 1968, SANCCOB is a non-profit organisation whose primary objective is to reverse the decline of seabird populations through the rescue, rehabilitationand releaseof ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds - especially endangered seabirds like the African penguin. The organisation works closely with colony managers to identify birds in need of care in the wild and bring them to one of its two centres in South Africa: Cape Town (Western Cape) and Cape St. Francis (Eastern Cape).
In almost 50 years, SANCCOB has treated more than 95 000 seabirds and independent research confirms that SANCCOB’s oil spill response actions alone have increased the African penguin population by 19%.
In a non-spill year, SANCCOB treats up to 2 500 seabirds, of which approximately 1 500 are African penguins.
What you can do to help conserve African penguins:
• Adopt and name an African penguin by visiting www.sanccob.co.za
• Report injured penguins and/or oiled birds to SANCCOB by calling [phone] (normal work hours) / 078 638 3731 (after hours & weekends)
• Donate to SANCCOB online at www.sanccob.co.za/donate or see what items are needed on SANCCOB’s Wish List www.sanccob.co.za/donate/wish-list
• Visit SANCCOB’s online shop for penguin goodies at www.sanccob.co.za/shop-online
• Raise funds for SANCCOB by starting your own fundraiser on Just Giving (www.justgiving.com/sanccob) or Givengain (www.justgiving.com/sanccob).
• Volunteer at SANCCOB by emailing [e-mail]