Nearly 50 African penguin chicks rescued from flooding on Bird Island are now healthy and gaining weight under expert care at a rehabilitation centre in Gqeberha. The chicks were evacuated after heavy rains on 24 February washed away their nests. Climate change is exacerbating such threats to seabird colonies.
Bird Island, part of Addo Elephant National Park off the coast of Gqeberha, hosts South Africa's second-largest colony of African penguins, with about 700 breeding pairs, as well as the world's largest colony of Cape gannets. On 24 February, torrential rains flooded low-lying nesting areas during the peak breeding season, causing adult penguins to abandon eggs and chicks. Sanccob seabird monitors stationed on the island responded quickly, reuniting some chicks with parents and evacuating 46 that could not be returned.
At Sanccob's facility in Gqeberha, the chicks receive round-the-clock care in a specialised unit. 'They are putting on weight and very healthy,' said CJ Havemann, the centre manager. 'They get fed every two hours' and follow a strict rehabilitation regime. The birds, described as 'very noisy' and hardy, are expected to stay for three to four months before release, once they reach fledgling age and meet health criteria.
South African National Parks implemented preventative measures like drainage channels and barriers, which saved over 95% of the affected chicks. However, climate change brings unpredictable severe weather. 'These severe weather events are becoming an increasing threat,' Havemann noted.
Broader challenges for African penguins in Algoa Bay include low sardine and anchovy stocks compared to the early 2000s. On nearby St Croix Island, the breeding population fell from 8,000 pairs around 2016 to 700, possibly due to noise from ship-to-ship bunkering and maritime traffic. 'We think noise pollution chased penguins away,' said marine biologist Lorien Pichegru of Nelson Mandela University, who has studied the species for over 18 years. Artificial nests help compensate for habitat loss from past guano harvesting, but nests cannot be relocated due to year-round use.