WATCH: Durban resident champions the African Penguin
With African penguin numbers on the decline, scientists are doing all they can to raise awareness of the aquatic bird.
AS the lead animal behaviourist and principal caregiver of penguins at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research’s (SAAMBR) uShaka Sea World, uMhlanga resident Kelly de Klerk is best placed to recognise the importance of the African Penguin.
De Klerk, along with her dedicated team, looks after 56 penguins at the Sea World facility.
In October last year, de Klerk, along with Durbanites, staff and members of the Durban Undersea Club (DUC), held a series of events to celebrate International African Penguin Awareness Day.
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While the aquatic bird has its own awareness day, de Klerk uses her position to educate the public on the importance of penguins and African Penguins in particular, whose numbers are declining in the wild.
“These charismatic birds are incredible animals, and of the 18 species of penguins around the world, they are the only ones endemic to the Southern African coastline. At SAAMBR uShaka Sea World, we have a colony of 56 birds. I have the privilege of looking after them, and many of them are rescued penguins and in need of help. In 2010, the African Penguin was moved from a vulnerable to an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of threatened species.
“Our goal here is to raise awareness of their plight and also celebrate them and educate the younger generation on their importance to the ecosystem. People often ask why they are so important, and the answer is they are an indicator species. If something happens to them and they go extinct in the wild, that has a knock-on effect. Their status informs scientists about the status of the ecosystem and the impacts overfishing, pollution and climate change have on them. For our climate and our oceans, it is so important we keep their numbers going up and do everything we can to protect them so they can continue being a part of the ecosystem,” she said.
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