Part of what makes us unique is our regular travels from the United States to South Africa to work with the African penguins at our partners’ sites and in the wild. We’ve been on the ground with these iconic birds many times. We’d like to introduce you to some of them.
African penguins are graceful in the water yet clumsy on land, which we think only adds to their charm.
Stella
Stella was rescued as a chick. Although having only one eye and growing up thin and weak, Stella is now strong and quick to guard its penguin house from other African penguins.
Captain
Captain is truly courageous. What looks like a missing eyebrow is a scar from a shark bite, making Captain an example of exceptional resilience.
Biltong
Biltong survived a head injury and broken jaw in her youth, giving her a more pronounced top hook on her beak. She has a passion for swimming and loves attention. If you don’t know, “biltong” is a form of dried, cured beef snack in South Africa.
Andrew
Andrew arrived with a right flipper injury from a seal encounter. This playful troublemaker, especially during feeding, is a resilient and spirited African penguin family member.
Sandy
Sandy was discovered with a severely swollen head and no other injuries. Although blind, Sandy navigates with ease and prefers sunbathing to swimming. She’s adored for her unique spirit.
Elvis
Elvis, thin and weak, had a painful seal bite on his left shoulder, leaving him unable to swim or eat independently. Curmudgeonly Elvis prefers lots of alone time and has learned to swim again despite some lingering trouble from his left shoulder.