The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) at Durban’s Ushaka Sea World celebrated the birth of two African penguin chicks.
With the 8% decline in the African penguin population, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Environment (DFFE), South African research institutes, and conservation organisations have been prompted to save the species.
Picture: Getaway GalleryUnsp
The one chick, Victory, was born to parents Levi and Snoop Dog on June 8. Initially thought to be a male, the SAAMBR team has now determined that Victory is, in fact, a female. SAAMBR’s Ann Kunz said she ‘eats around 16 sardines per day and weighs around 2.5 kg.’ Her parents have successfully raised chicks in the past.
She is ‘the second generation African penguin to be born at Ushaka Sea World, as Snoop Dog and Levi were both born in the Ushaka penguin colony in 2008 and 2009, respectively.’
Venus, the second chick, was born on 15 June to parents Aladin and Calso, but its sex is yet to be determined. Both of Venus’ parents were found stranded on a beach in KZN.
‘These two young penguins will form part of an assurance population, which is an important part of a functional species survival plan for endangered species,’ Kunz told IOL.
Picture: Getaway Gallery
The DFFE gave a report in July by a group of scientists recommending that fishing around islands with breeding colonies be stopped.
‘Research at Dassen and Robben islands demonstrated that closing fishing around these breeding colonies is likely to reduce the rate of decline in the population to some extent, while various other contributing factors need to be taken into consideration too.’
Save The African Penguin estimates that there are only 14,700 pairs left.
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