The African Penguin is officially on the endangered bird species list, and could become extinct, reports the Cape Argus. It is the first time that this penguin type, which is an icon for the Simonstown beaches in particular, has been flagged as being more likely to become extinct, as defined by BirdLife International, which compiles the list for the World Conservation Union.
Population figures for the African Penguin have shown a rapid decline, and it is speculated that it is due to changes in commercial fishing and “shifts in prey populations”, says the report. The University of Cape Town’s Animal Demography Unit is studying the African Penguin, and is concerned about the steady decline in penguin numbers. The unit is unable to define the exact reason for the decline, and therefore no conservation action can be taken to reverse the trend. What the Unit has identified however is that the location of the African Penguin breeding colonies is not aligned to where they can get to fish within a 20 km radius. The change in fish location may be due to climate change.
All in all, the future of the African Penguin does not look promising.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com
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