Stranded African Penguin on the mend at uShaka
The penguin consumes eight sardines a day and, while she may spend most of the day resting, the team at uShaka hope she will soon recover enough to spend the day on her feet.
NEARLY one week after it was found stranded on a beach in Salt Rock, the African Penguin (named Amber), is on the mend.
Amber was the first African Penguin to strand on a beach this year and was soon admitted to uShaka Sea World’s penguin hospital. Upon admission, she was noted to be thin, dehydrated and exhausted.
The juvenile penguin was also found to have no concerning external injuries, but did have surface injuries to her left and right feet.
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“We are a little concerned that she has a higher than normal parasite load, which requires monitoring. She has been given rehydration fluids, antibiotics and deworming medication and left to rest,” said South African Association for Marine Biological Research’s (Saambr) Ann Kunz.
After just a few days in recovery, the team reported that Amber responded well to hydration fluids and antibiotics and her blood results indicate a drop in her parasite load.
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“Although penguins are not naturally found in KZN, it is not unusual to come across a stranded penguin on one of KZN’s beaches at this time of year. When a penguin leaves the ocean and comes to rest on a KZN beach, they are inevitably in trouble and need human assistance,” said Kunz.
Should you come across a stranded penguin, SAAMBR urged readers to not attempt to return it to the water.
“It is exhausted and needs every ounce of its vital energy to get over its ordeal at sea. Please contact us as soon as you are able to,” said Kunz.
Contact 031 328 8222 to report stranded penguins.
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