Our Work

KruShan Foundation Provides Emergency Funds for Months-Long Rehabilitation of 15 African Penguin Chicks Displaced by Severe Storms in Western Cape, South Africa

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The Western Cape experienced severe storms in June and July, with disaster areas declared. The African penguin colonies were hit hard, with African penguin chicks drowning or parents abandoning their offspring. In mid-July, our partner, SANCCOB, rescued over 30 chicks and 25 eggs (a total of 55), with more rescues expected. SANCCOB was fortunate to … Read more

KRUSHAN FOUNDATION: Crucial in assisting, keeping our African Penguins safe!

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This article was originally published here–https://dict.org.za/blog/krushan-foundation-crucial-in-assisting-keeping-our-african-penguins-safe/ Kruger and Shannon du Plessis from the KruShan Foundation are two friends of the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. They have assisted with numerous previous donations towards the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, including buying two gas fridges to keep the penguin meals frozen during heavy load-shedding in 2023. … Read more

Artificial Nests Help African Penguins Beat the Heat

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African penguins didn’t have a homelessness problem and were happily laying their eggs in burrows dug into centuries-old layers of their excrement until the 1800s when traders discovered that African penguin guano was an excellent fertilizer and shipped it to the United Kingdom. The guano burrows had provided African penguins with these benefits.  • A … Read more

Hunger Crisis—How KruShan Foundation Ensured over 350 African Penguin Chicks Won’t Starve

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One of our partners, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, cares for approximately 350 African penguin chicks at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) between October and January. Dr. Liezl Pretorius, a zoologist and veterinarian at APSS, explains that during this time, African penguin parents endure their annual molt, rendering their feather coat non-waterproof. Consequently, … Read more

African Penguin Parenting Perils

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Picture the scene. They were a perfect pair, their appetites partially satiated by feeding on fish. Yet, now their chicks squawk with hunger, and their energy is depleting. African penguins mate for life and are good parents, yet they often face a cruel dilemma. Each October/November marks the end of the African penguin breeding season, … Read more

When Does 1 Equal 45?

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When we help rear an African penguin chick or rehabilitate an injured African penguin, that act has a long-term ripple effect that increases the population of African penguin colonies. Indeed, every African penguin counts. The loss of 45 (conservative estimate) future African penguins makes it all the more sad when an injured African penguin doesn’t … Read more

More African Penguin Chicks? Yes Please!

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Protecting the endangered African penguin is an urgent matter requiring immediate action. Just 1% of African penguins remain in the wild—a horrific decline. Experts predict that they may go extinct in the wild as soon as 2035 without intervention. One of the ways we help fortify the declining African penguin population is through our support of … Read more