At the time of going to print, six oiled penguins had already been rescued in the Mossel Bay area. The public is urged to be on the lookout for animals in distress.
If covered by oil, the birds contract pneumonia very easily and in this very cold weather, these endangered birds will almost certainly die. When found, wrap them in something and keep them warm and dry until help arrives.
Carol Walton from the Seabird and Penguin Rehab Centre (SAPREC) appeals to the public to be aware of the situation and says help will be greatly appreciated.
Donations of old towels, kitchen gloves and newspapers would be welcome.
Other pressing needs at the moment are:
- LDC (cleaning product)
- Cooking oil
- Infrared light globes (screw-in) to keep the penguins warm.
All oil-covered penguins that arrive at SAPREC are kept under infrared lights until they are more relaxed. Then they are washed. This entails rubbing cooking oil into their feathers to loosen the pollution, after which they are thoroughly washed with LDC and then rinsed. This process is repeated until all oil has been removed, where after they are dried and placed back under the infrared lights.
They are also fed charcoal to absorb any poisonous oil they may have ingested. Normally the penguins are clean after three or four washes in extreme cases. Their buoyancy is only restored after about a month, after which they can be released back in the ocean.
The total cost of this operation is around R1000 per bird. One box of fish (to feed the penguins) costs R57, and therefore any financial support is welcome. Volunteers to clean up and feed the penguins are ready and able to help, but there is also need for green oil skins.
There are currently 21 penguins at the rehab centre in Mossdustria. Some of these birds were ready for release when the ship ran aground, but because of the risk of pollution, all releases have been put on hold.
SAPREC would like to thank their sponsors, The Garden Route Casino Trust and PetroSA, for their ongoing support. The Centre appeals to all residents to become involved by being alert to animals in distress, or by donating a towel or even a mere R5!
Contact Carol on 082 364 3382 for more information or if stranded animals are found.
This is one of many oil-covered penguins that have been found in the Mossel Bay area since the stranded Kiani Satu started leaking oil. Photo: Tersia Marais
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