The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) is trying to raise R250 000 to expand its chick-rearing unit.

The unit was renovated in 2011 as a dedicated facility to care for African penguin chicks, but, according to Sanccob’s Ronnis Daniels, is now to small for the growing demand to artificially incubate, hatch and hand-rear African penguin eggs and chicks, rescued from penguin colonies in the Western Cape.

“Low food availability affects the birds’ success in raising chicks during the normal winter breeding season in South Africa. African penguins have the ability to relay, but that may lead to an overlap of breeding and the onset of moult. Sufficient food would allow the birds to raise their chicks to fledging age with enough time to fatten themselves up to be ready for their annual moult towards the end of the year,” said Ms Daniels in a statement.

“The African penguin population is decreasing at 7.9% a year, and, at that rate, they could be extinct by 2035, which makes Sanccob’s conservation efforts to reverse the decline of numbers even more crucial. On average, 500 to 600 African penguin chicks and 300 to 400 African penguin eggs are brought to Sanccob each year with numbers increasing by 256% in the last seven years.”

An expanded chick-rearing unit would let Sanccob accept twice the number of abandoned and rescued African penguin eggs and chicks to further bolster the wild population. Currently, the unit can accommodate 200 eggs for incubation and a maximum of 100 little chicks.

Ms Daniels added that Sanccob had taken legal action against the Office of the Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to implement no-catch zones around six breeding sites.

Sanccob’s head of operations, Melissa Knott, said: “We are thrilled to have almost reached our final goal, and we believe that we can reach the finish line to bring this project to fruition with support from the public.

“The new building will enable us to accept twice the amount of abandoned and rescued African penguin eggs and chicks, which equates to roughly 400 eggs for incubation and 200 little chicks. We are hopeful that the litigation will result in a decision by the government to implement meaningful closures in terms of size and location, so that when the hand-reared birds are released, there is enough food for them to survive.”

To support Sanccob’s efforts, visit their website www.sanccob.co.za or contact Ronnis Daniels at ronnis@sanccob.co.za or Melissa Knott at melissa@sanccob.co.za.

A 3D rendering of what the new expanded chick-rearing unit will look like.