Ford Wildlife Foundation
(FWF) has contributed R50 000 to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds
(SANCCOB) in
Gqeberha
Emergency funds used to rescue and rehabilitate
African penguins from the nearby
Bird Island. More than 100 displaced or abandoned
African penguin chicks rescued since March 2022 following extreme weather conditions
FWF provides essential mobility for the
SANCCOB team with a loan
Ford Ranger Double cab 4x4 for a period of two years, used to rescue penguins and seabirds along the
Eastern Cape coast
GQEBERHA, South Africa, 15 July 2022 – The Ford Wildlife Foundation
(FWF) has extended its support for the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds
(SANCCOB) in
Gqeberha by contributing R50 000 towards its latest
African penguin rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
Since March 2022, South African National Parks
(SANParks) in conjunction with the
SANCCOB Seabird Monitor based on
Bird Island conducted emergency interventions following severe weather systems across Algoa Bay that resulted in adult
African penguins abandoning their nests. “Many of the nests were either destroyed or underwater, and their chicks would have died if not for the emergency rescue efforts to retrieve them for admission to our
SANCCOB facility,” says Carl Havemann, manager of
SANCCOB Gqeberha. “There were chicks admitted in very poor condition that required intensive care to pull through, and they are strengthening with each passing day.”
The large admission of more than 100
African penguin chicks has incurred significant additional expenses for
SANCCOB to feed, medicate and rehabilitate them to the point where they can be returned to their colony. The chicks are currently being hand-reared by dedicated staff, interns and volunteers. The centre has also admitted several injured and ill adult
African penguins since the beginning of the year, while nine other seabird species have also undergone rehabilitation at the centre since January for emaciation or injuries. “The decline of
African penguins is very worrying as the species is considered an indicator species to the health of the overall marine ecosystem,” Havemann explains.
"
SANCCOB values its partnership with the
Ford Wildlife Foundation, and the continued support. The latest contribution will be allocated directly to the rehabilitation funds of the
African penguins. The fish consumables, which includes sardines, as well as the veterinary care and medication for the seabirds at our centre is extremely costly, and the
FWF contribution will assist in giving the
Gqeberha centre a much-needed boost to fund these essential costs,” Havemann says.
“It costs around R8 400 per day to care for and feed the 105
African penguin chicks currently at the centre,” Havemann says. “Depending on their age at admission, chicks remain in our care until they reach fledgling age, with an average of 60 to 90 days spent at our facility. As a non-profit organisation, we are completely reliant on members of the public, as well as organisations such as the
FWF to support us through funding the
African penguin and seabird rehabilitation work we do. We appeal to other companies and individuals to support our efforts to protect these endangered species.
“We are also most thankful for the loan
Ford Ranger from
FWF which makes it possible for our teams to transport rescued birds safely, and assists with our day-to-day operations,” Havemann adds.
Algoa Bay is a marine biodiversity hotspot, and its seabird breeding islands fall within the declared Addo Marine Protected Area
(MPA). The
St Croix and
Bird Islands together account for more than 45-percent of the total African penguin population in
South Africa and are of crucial importance to the survival of this iconic and endangered species.
Bird Island is also home to the world’s largest colony of Cape gannets.
“The focus of the
Ford Wildlife Foundation is to keep animals in their natural habitat and protect endangered species,” says Lynda du Plessis, manager of the
Ford Wildlife Foundation. “
SANCCOB plays a crucial role in looking after the African penguin and seabird populations in Nelson Mandela Bay. However, SANCCOB faces so many headwinds in funding their normal operations, and then also responding to additional factors that threaten these important species.
“We contributed R50 000 to SANCCOB’s Save the African Penguin project in October last year, and are making a further R50 000 contribution this year to support the organisation’s latest rescue and rehabilitation project,” du Plessis says. “The
African penguin population is already impacted by a shortage of their traditional fish stocks, as well as oil spillages and noise pollution from the busy shipping lanes in the bay.
“The contribution to the rescue project bolsters our support for
SANCCOB Gqeberha, along with the loan
Ford Ranger Double Cab 4x4 which enables the team to rescue and transport penguins and seabirds across the
Eastern Cape. We also provide a loan
Ford Ranger to the
SANCCOB centre in
Cape Town,” du Plessis adds.
SANCCOB is a registered non-profit organisation whose primary objective is to reverse the decline of seabird populations through the rescue and rehabilitation of ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds, and return them to the wild – especially endangered species like the
African penguin. In a normal year where no oil spills occur,
SANCCOB treats up to 2 500 seabirds.
The
SANCCOB Gqeberha Centre is based in the 366-hectare Cape Recife Nature Reserve on Marine Drive near Summerstrand. The facility is open to the public, and provides educational tours and popular daily feeds for the penguins as one of its most important fund-raising mechanisms. Along with a new rehabilitation pool, the facility is equipped with a seabird hospital with a surgical theatre and intensive care unit (ICU).
For over 30 years,
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
(FMCSA) has actively been involved in the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems in
South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The Ford Wildlife Foundation
(FWF), which was established in 2014, continues
FMCSA’s long-standing support of conservation projects in
Southern Africa through the provision of ‘Built Ford Tough’
4x4 Ranger Double Cabs to partner organisations. During the two-year loan period, the vehicles are monitored and serviced by
Ford's extensive dealer network to ensure optimum performance and efficiency.