More than saving penguins

The Spirit Foundation is incredibly proud of its partnership with the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), particularly its provision of a specialised heated rehabilitation pool to aid the recovery of endangered African penguins and other seabirds.

As 25 April is World Penguin Day, it is a good time to reflect on the remarkable work of SANCCOB – a unique institution and national treasure.

You’ve probably heard of SANCCOB, particularly when the TV shows pictures of oil-soaked birds after a spill or marine accident, but perhaps we don’t know enough about its work and how it has achieved respect around the world.

SANCCOB operates two rehabilitation centres (in Cape Town and Gqeberha) that treat roughly 2,500 injured or oiled seabirds annually. The chick rearing unit rescues and hand-rear abandoned African penguin eggs and chicks for release back into the wild.

Particularly well known is the Centres’ oil spill response units which act as the primary authority in South Africa for cleaning and rehabilitating seabirds affected by oil spills.

Important for sustainability, the Centres employ “Penguin and Seabird Rangers” to monitor colonies and work with partners to research seabird behaviours and improve population numbers.

One of the areas the Spirit Foundation enjoys most about SANCCOB is its educational and training programme which offers educational tours, school programmes and professional training in seabird care and marine conservation.

But in order for SANCCOB to survive, it requires the support of donors and the public. In this regard it offers a unique adoption programme in which the public can adopt penguins or eggs to support rehabilitation costs.

So, as we head to World Penguin Day on 25 April, why not pop in and witness for yourself SANCCOB’s truly remarkable work and see how you can support this wonderful institution.