LAST month environmentalists around the globe celebrated World Penguin Day.

Annually marked on April 25, the day is about celebrating penguins while also raising awareness about the threats they face.

Some of the threats they face are climate change, overfishing, noise pollution and habitat destruction.

At least 10 species of penguins are listed as vulnerable, near threatened, endangered and critically endangered on The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Also read: Snake rescuer outraged over monitor lizard ‘capture and sale’

One of those species is the African Penguin, endemic to Southern Africa’s coastline, including South Africa and Namibia. The African Penguin is now listed as critically endangered on the IUCN with as little as 19 000 mature penguins in the wild.

One person who is doing her bit to raise awareness on the flightless bird is assistant curator of mammals and birds at the SA Association for Marine Biological Research’s (SAAMBR) uShaka Sea World, Kelly de Klerk.

“Every year we mark World Penguin Day on April 25 and African Penguin Day in October as a way at raising awareness on these remarkable birds while speaking on the conservation challenges they face,” explained the uMhlanga resident.

De Klerk has 59 African Penguins in her care, 32 of which are rescue birds (not releasable) due to injuries or sickness.

Also read: Police rescue chained tortoise during illegal liquor raid in Klerksdorp

“At SAAMBR uShaka Sea World, we have a colony of 59 birds we look after. Sadly through a myriad of factors, climate change, habitat loss and overfishing the penguins are now at risk of being functionally extinct in the wild. The simple fact is in the 1920s we had over a million mating pairs; we’ve lost 90% of the population, there’s less than 10 000 pairs left. In fact there are more African Penguins in captivity or under human care than there are in the wild.

“Places like uShaka become essential because we raise awareness of their plight and also celebrate them and educate the younger generation on their importance to the ecosystem. People often ask why they are so important, and the answer is: They are an indicator species. If something happens to them and they go extinct in the wild, that has a knock-on effect. Their status informs scientists about the status of the ecosystem and the impacts overfishing, pollution and climate change have on them,” she said.

De Klerk said one of the ways in which people can help is to adopt a penguin through Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).

For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook ,X or  Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here