Kleinbaai Lifestyle Estate Contributes to Endangered African Penguin Conservation

by Cèline Haarhoff

Kleinbaai Lifestyle Estate, in recognition of the vital role played by the African Penguin in our brand identity, is pleased to announce our collaboration with the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. Our partnership aims to support the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, which provides essential care for diseased, displaced, and injured marine birds, with a particular focus on the endangered African Penguin.

By becoming a homeowner at Kleinbaai Lifestyle Estate, you will automatically contribute to the preservation of these remarkable birds by sponsoring a Penguin Penthouse on Dyer Island. With fewer than 1000 breeding pairs remaining on Dyer Island, our initiative has reached a critical juncture where #EveryPenguinCounts. Each African penguin rehabilitated and released by the sanctuary plays a crucial role in rebuilding the African penguin population.

As a token of our appreciation, each homeowner will receive a certificate commemorating their contribution as part of the property handover.

Why are artificial nests essential for African penguins?

Dyer Island was historically covered in a layer of guano measuring between 4-6 meters deep. African Penguins traditionally built their nests by burrowing into these thick layers of guano. However, with the widespread use of artificially produced fertilizers, guano became a valuable commodity and was extensively harvested from penguin breeding islands. This depletion of guano has forced penguins to nest on the island’s surface, exposing their offspring to the harsh African weather and increasing predation by kelp gulls.

For more information, visit the DITC website here or read more on the APSS here.

Statistical Update: 70 Endangered African Penguins Released Back on Dyer Island

25 November 2023, Kleinbaai, Western Cape - Seventy endangered African Penguins were successfully reintroduced to their habitat on Dyer Island by the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. This follows the release of the first batch of 41 young African penguins on Saturday, 19 November.

Since the beginning of November, a total of 120 chicks have been removed and hand-raised at the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary (APSS), a project of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. This initiative is part of the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment, aiming to stabilize the declining African penguin population.

Over the last 30 years (three generations), the number of African penguins breeding in South Africa has declined by 73%, from approximately 42,500 breeding pairs in 1991 to around 10,400 pairs in 2021 (Sherley et al., 2021).

The chicks are removed at the end of the breeding season when the adults undergo their annual moult. Some parents start their moult before their offspring reach the fledgling stage, leaving the chicks vulnerable to starvation or unprepared for ocean challenges.

The dedicated staff at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary have been working tirelessly, seven days a week, for the past month to care for the chicks. However, the increased demand for resources has strained the sanctuary’s budget. Xolani Lawo, Senior Bird Rehabilitator, expressed gratitude for the support received from private donors and visitors to the sanctuary’s coffee and curio shop, as all profits aid conservation efforts.

Trudi Malan, Dyer Island Conservation Trust Conservation Manager, emphasized the importance of releasing the penguins back into their natural habitat to prevent the species from extinction. The remaining penguins are expected to be released early in the new year.

Dyer Island, classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and under the protective management of CapeNature, faced challenges such as an avian influenza outbreak, resulting in the removal of sick birds and carcasses from the environment.

CEO of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, Wilfred Chivell, stressed the need for active interventions to address the decline of the species, including limited fishing closures around the island during certain times of the year.

For more information:

DICT Project Support and Public Relations Officer: Christine Wessels

Images provided by APPS.

Source: https://kleinbaaiestate.co.za/