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Africa|Efficiency|Environment|Industrial|Marine|Ports|PROJECT|Projects|transport|Environmental
africa|efficiency|environment|industrial|marine|ports|project|projects|transport|environmental

Ford Wildlife Foundation supports penguin rescue project

SANCCOB's Penguin Rescue

Photo by Creamer Media's Tasneem Bulbulia

15th December 2021

By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Senior Contributing Editor Online

     

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The Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) has extended its support to nonprofit the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds' (SANCCOB's) Penguin Rescue and Rehabilitation project, in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

FWF is funded by the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa and is supported by its nationwide network of Ford dealers. The organisation was launched in 2014.

It supports environmental education, research and conservation projects around sub-Saharan Africa. The Ford Ranger is used in assisting projects.

Ford, through the FWF, provides its Ford Double Cab 4x4 XLT models to partner organisations. During the two-year loan period, the vehicles are monitored and serviced by Ford's dealer network to ensure optimum performance and efficiency.

FWF manager Lynda du Plessis says that, since its inception, 12 Ford Rangers have been donated to conservation nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

Presently, there are 28 Ranger Double Cab 4x4 XLT models on loan to projects across the country, as well as in Mozambique.

One example of Ford’s contributions towards conservation projects is found in its partnership with SANCCOB. This began in October with the contribution of R50 000 towards SANCCOB’S Save the African Penguin project.

The project has been tackling the food crisis that has had a severe impact on penguin and seabird populations, many of which occur naturally on Bird Island and St Croix Island in Algoa Bay, off the coast of Gqeberha.

Speaking during a site visit to the SANCCOB Gqeberha Centre on December 3, it was noted that the birds are victim to a number of external factors, with the biggest being a food crisis owing to depleting fish stocks caused by overfishing and climate change.

There are also other factors to contend with, such as oil spills and increased industrial activity in and around the ports, which impacts on wildlife. Therefore, there needs to be a balance between necessary economic activity and preserving the environment.

SANCCOB works closely with colony managers to identify birds in need of care in the wild and bring them to one of its centres in South Africa, mainly in Cape Town, in the Western Cape, and Gqeberha.

In a normal year where no oil spills occur, SANCCOB treats up to 2 500 seabirds, of which about 1 500 are African penguins.

All of the rescued birds are taken to the SANCCOB centres and treated for dehydration and emaciation, as well as for any injuries.

The penguins are tube-fed by a trained SANCCOB team until they gain sufficient weight and are graded to test if they are ready to be released.

The SANCCOB Gqeberha Centre recently launched a new purpose-built rehabilitation pool with six pens, which allows the penguins to get the necessary swimming time that is essential for the waterproofing of their feathers.

As alluded to earlier, the Ford Ranger is also used in SANCCOB’s conservation work, enabling it to access difficult terrain and to more easily rescue and transport birds. The use of donated vehicles also frees up funds for other areas of conservation work in the project.

The SANCCOB Gqeberha Centre is based in the 366 ha Cape Recife Nature Reserve on Marine drive in Summerstrand.

The facility is open to the public and provides educational tours and daily feeds for the penguins as one of its most important fund-raising mechanisms. Along with the new rehabilitation pool, the facility is equipped with a seabird hospital with a surgical theatre and intensive care unit.

While these activities became difficult during lockdowns, the centre is once again open and South Africans are encouraged to visit if possible. Those that are unable to are encouraged to donate to conservation efforts, such as through a penguin adoption.

FWF had previously adopted two penguins. A third was adopted on site at SANCCOB on December 3.

The new adoptee was christened ‘Woody Woodpecker’. He had been admitted to the facility on November 6, after having been found on Bird Island with a leg injury.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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