An oil spill in Algoa Bay threatened Bird and St. Croix Island colonies. Over 100 penguins were rescued and taken to Port Elizabeth for cleaning when 400 litres of oil was accidentally released into the sea from a Liberian ship. Birds were cleaned and then held for four weeks recovery before being released.

Oil Spill - Algoa Bay

Hundreds of nests were deployed this spring on Bird Island, off the coast of South Africa in SANParks' Addo Elephant National Park. The penguins took to the nests quickly, moving in as fast as they were installed. One bird laid an egg in a nest just four hours after it was put out! And in just four days, penguin families had occupied 98% of the nests.

Penguins Get Homes

In 2017, a Kickstarter campaign spearheaded by Association of Zoos and Aquariums to develop and deploy artificial nests for the endangered African penguin was a hit. Over 2,000 individuals helped raise $193,560! That's a whole lot of nests. But, there are still more nests to be built and placed in colonies, that's where you come in.

A Huge Success