BETTY’S BAY CONSERVANCY PENGUIN-PALS PROJECTS

Betty’s Bay has the amazing privilege of having the third largest African Penguin colony as neighbours.

Not only can you stroll around the colony and observe these neatly dressed neighbours in their daily activities as well as during nesting and chick raising seasons, but the visitors and tourists that come to experience this major tourist attraction provide financial income to many local businesses. Many of the local community benefit from Stony Point colony.

These Endangered neighbours are rapidly heading for being reclassified as Critically Endangered as their population continues to plummet. After that, unless this situation is drastically turned around with critical interventions such as island closures to protect their fish supply, the last two categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Data Book are Extinct in the Wild and Extinct.

Currently it is estimated the African Penguin will be functionally extinct in the wild by 2035 – a mere 11 years from now.

Along with the privilege and benefit that Betty’s Bay gains from Stony Point colony, should also come some sense of responsibility. To just gain from the benefit and not give back or support the colony in some way, would seem to be a rather one-sided relationship. 

We should help to be custodians of the colony and support those organizations who do the vital work of managing the colony, monitoring the population and providing essential medical assistance.

BBC4thSATURDAY on May 25

With this in mind, the BBC organized a BBC4thSaturday event with staff from Stony Point staff and SANCCOB saves Seabirds. The “all in one” event was aimed at providing community members with important insights into the reality of the status of the African Penguin, the work being performed by these teams and how the community could help. The presenters spoke from their “hands on” experience of dealing with these aspects of the birds

We owe a huge thanks to the Stony Point staff and Dr Roberts, the vet at SANCCOB who traveled in from Cape Town. They gave of their personal “off duty” time to come and tell us about the work that they do to help save and support the endangered African Penguins.

Their commitment to their work and their passion for helping the penguins was evident in all their presentations. 

The Stony Point team comprised of Cairestine Lottering (CapeNature Field Ranger), Vathiswa Bafo and Marcelin Barry (WWF Monitors) and Gavin Petersen (SANCCOB Seabird Ranger). It is great to see a team from a number of organizations all working together.

Dr Roberts has seven years of experience at SANCCOB and spoke from both his clinical veterinary experience and his knowledge of the current status of the African Penguin.

The BBC Penguin-Pals presented a visual overview of the projects that they have initiated to support Stony Point and SANCCOB in their work. Many of our BBC Penguin-Pals Drivers attended the event. These trained drivers have done eight trips in response to a “call out” from Stony Point to help transport eggs, chicks and adults in need of medical attention at SANCCOB. This BBC4thSaturday event was also a super opportunity for these three groups to network with each other.
It was a very enjoyable, interesting, informative but relaxed event – as well as an opportunity to also ask these experienced and passionate people questions on issues related to our endangered African Penguin neighbours.
The BBC gave the speakers BBC mugs as a token of our appreciation.
BUT….
Only a handful of the community attended!

It gave an impression, and we hope that it is not an accurate one of our normally supportive community, that the community was not very interested in the work being done or how they can help.
You may have missed the important information that was presented but there is still an opportunity to help the organisations that manage Stony Point and the African Penguins. For the June/July school holidays, there will be a box for donated items at Fussfree Printing at Centre Shops in Betty’s Bay and at ERA Estates at Penguin Place on Clarence Drive, Bettys Bay. Below are the “wish lists” of CapeNature and SANCCOB for items you could donate: