MOSSEL BAY NEWS -  Alex and Spuddy, two critically endangered African penguins, were recently rescued and are now being nursed back to health at the Seabird and Penguin Rehabilitation Centre (Saprec).

Saprec's founder, Carol Walton, said Spuddy was rescued first, from a beach in Still Bay about two weeks ago. After a visit to the vet, they discovered that he was extremely malnourished and was suffering from malaria.

Alex, on the other hand, was found at Victoria Bay about a week later, and was also not in good condition. He was taken to the Hartenbos Animal Hospital, where he was treated for a chest infection. After his recovery, he was placed back with the centre, where he remains and is recuperating.

Saprec is currently rehabilitating 12 birds, but sometimes it houses as many as 30. This includes gulls, gannets, penguins and other seabirds found along the Garden Route Coast.

Walton said the centre is a non-profit organisation and relies heavily on donations and financial support from the public to pay the vet bills when a bird is sick, as in Alex and Spuddy's cases, or needs an emergency operation, such as the removal of a fishing hook from a bird's stomach or throat, or fishing line around a foot or wing.

"Our electricity and water bill is quite high as well, because the washing machine is constantly running to keep towels for the birds clean, and we have to keep heat lamps on weak birds and keep the area clean. We have to buy fresh fish for the birds as well," said Walton.

The centre covers 200km of coastline along the Garden Route, from Plettenberg Bay to Still Bay. 

"We are looking for people to be our eyes along the coast, especially when it comes to penguins and chicks. They often wash up on the beach, starving and exhausted, and by the time we receive the call, it is already too late," she said.

According to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob), the African penguin has already lost 97% of its population and could be extinct in less than 10 years. 

One of the threats they face is commercial fishing, which competes with them for sardines and anchovies, their main source of food. This leaves them in a state of hunger, making it difficult for them to breed.

To report seabirds or penguins in distress, or to donate to Saprec, contact Walton on 082 364 3382. 

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