Editorial note on environmental challenges and ways to overcome them. Call to Earth – an editorial series that highlights the planet’s critical issues, and the Perpetual Planet partnership by Rolex supports awareness and education on sustainability topics and inspires action.

Cape Town, South Africa –

On the shores of Betty’s Bay, a colony of African penguins wakes to the morning sun, their white bellies gleaming against dark backs.

Although these are African penguins, they are smaller than their Antarctic relatives and adapted to the temperate climate along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. Every year they attract tens of thousands of visitors, but the population is gradually shrinking: in 2024 these birds were listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the wild, there may now be fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining.

SANCCOB – South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds – is one of the longest-running groups in the region, focused on restoring populations through rescue missions, rehabilitation, and research. The organization was founded in 1968 and is known for its work in conserving African penguins.

«We observe daily how these birds arrive at SANCCOB with fairly severe injuries and signs of exhaustion; they are struggling a lot out in the wild», – said Jade Sookhoo, a rehabilitation manager at SANCCOB.

“We are watching these birds every day coming in (to SANCCOB) with quite severe trauma, with emaciation problems; they are struggling a lot out in the wild,” said Jade Sookhoo, a rehabilitation manager at SANCCOB.

– Jade Sookhoo

Over the last three decades, African penguins have declined by about 80% due to pollution, habitat destruction, and food scarcity – and recent studies identify starvation as a leading cause of deaths in the wild.

A study conducted by the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment and the UK University of Exeter showed that more than 60,000 birds died from malnutrition between 2004–2011 on Robben and Dassen Islands – two of the region’s most important African penguin breeding sites.

African penguins depend on schools of fish, such as anchovies and sardines, as their main food source. Global climate change and intensive fishing have led to a decline in fish populations, affecting the birds’ survival and the fate of their young. A troubling trend is the disappearance of sardines along the southern coast of Namibia, which makes finding food more difficult.

“Fisheries are a huge business, and we don’t want fishing to stop completely; it is a vital part of our economy,” Robyn Fraser-Knowles of SANCCOB told CNN.

– Robyn Fraser-Knowles

If fish resources are not safeguarded, the ecosystem as a whole could suffer serious problems. SANCCOB’s cautions warn that, without action, we risk the collapse of the system, and its consequences would be felt not only by the birds but by humans.

At SANCCOB rehabilitation centers, birds receive round-the-clock medical care, rehabilitation, and support during recovery and release back into the wild. Last year the center admitted 948 penguins – they often arrived “listless, hungry,” and one adult penguin weighed about 1.9 kg, nearly half of the optimal weight.

“The bodies that wash up and the ones that we treat, we can see this very, very strong trend,” Fraser-Knowles said. “You don’t find penguins in the wild that are the ideal body weight anymore.”

– Robyn Fraser-Knowles

Sanccob researcher Albert Snumen keeps a small collection of stones in his laboratory as a reminder of how acute the crisis is: stones were found in the stomachs of chicks being treated, which explains why they aren’t gaining weight. “Parents were so desperate that they fed the youngsters stones,” said Fraser-Knowles.

Raising chicks depends on the parents: they typically take turns on land while others search for food at sea. But extreme weather, a higher likelihood of predator attacks, and longer foraging trips reduce the chances of juveniles’ survival and lead to nest abandonment.

“Abandonment is also an issue affecting the young.”

– Fraser-Knowles

Malnutrition also affects the molt: birds are forced to stay on land for up to three weeks, shedding old plumage and growing new feathers to keep warm and able to hunt. If food is scarce, molt may be delayed or not begin at all.

“They come in (to SANCCOB) with really old, damaged feathers and we have to feed them and kickstart that molt cycle because they just can’t do it in the wild anymore,” Roberts told CNN.

– Dr. David Roberts

In addition to hunger, penguins face risks from predators, notably seals and sharks, which intensify during periods of reduced fish stocks. The location of colonies along shipping lanes and ports increases the risk of oil pollution and noise from vessels.

They are also at risk from avian diseases, notably HPAI avian influenza and avian malaria, which continue to affect population status.

“Despite the challenges African penguins face, there is some hope.”

– CNN

Hope appears in action: experts talk about the possibility of halting the population decline around Robben Island through a no-take zone and expanded protection measures, as well as reducing quotas for sardine and anchovy catches. At the same time, important steps include supporting rehabilitation centers and monitoring resource use – all of this can preserve African penguins for future generations.

“According to the data, the no-take zone around Robben Island should stop the decline of that population just on that island by 2033, we hope, but of course, there are all these other factors at play,” Fraser-Knowles said.

– Robyn Fraser-Knowles

Since the program was launched in 2006, SANCCOB has released over 10,000 African penguins into the wild. In 2021 the organization opened the world’s first artificially protected penguin colony in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, where the birds now breed.

Fraser-Knowles emphasizes that future stabilization depends on preserving wild populations, expanding no-take zones, and significantly reducing quotas for sardine and anchovy catches. Equally important is changing consumer habits: reducing the use of fish for feeding livestock and pets, and supporting sustainably harvested species in line with WWF SASSI guidelines – all steps toward protecting African penguins.

“They are an indicator species, and their decline is signaling that our ecosystem is in serious trouble,” she added. “If they don’t have food security, then the trickle-down effect starts and it will end with humans.”

– Fraser-Knowles