You may wonder why our partners step in to raise chicks instead of leaving them in their natural habitat. It’s not because African penguins are bad parents; in fact, they are remarkable caregivers, especially given the challenges they face. However, their breeding season coincides with another critical stage—molting.
During molting, penguin parents must stay ashore while shedding their old feathers and growing new ones. They require fat reserves three times their normal body weight to sustain this process since they cannot hunt at sea. Tragically, some parents begin their molt before their chicks reach the fledgling stage. This leaves the chicks vulnerable, unable to survive without adequate fat reserves or parental care. Without intervention, these young penguins often starve or venture into the ocean unprepared for its harsh challenges.
In an ideal world, this cycle could be viewed as nature taking its course. But human interference has altered that balance:
- Millions of penguin eggs were harvested as delicacies.
- Tons of guano, crucial for insulated burrows, were scraped away, exposing eggs and chicks to predators.
- Penguins were subjected to devastating oil spills.
Faced with these impacts, conservation measures are essential to prevent the extinction of one of South Africa’s most iconic animals. Rescuing underweight chicks or those with molting parents and hand-raising them is a key component of the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan.
With less than 1% of the original African Penguin population remaining, the species teeters on the edge of functional extinction. Functional extinction means their numbers are too low to maintain a viable population or contribute meaningfully to their ecosystem. Together, we can help turn the tide and ensure these incredible birds remain a part of our planet’s wildlife legacy.