A total of 32 African Penguin chicks have recently been admitted to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds’ (Sanccob) Cape Town Centre in Table View for rehabilitation and care.
Many of the young birds arrived in a fragile condition, suffering from emaciation and high blood parasite loads, requiring immediate medical attention and intensive care from Sanccob’s experienced rehabilitation team.
“As part of our strict Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) prevention measures, all new arrivals are placed in quarantine and tested before entering the main facility,” the organisation confirmed. “This crucial step helps safeguard the seabirds already in our care and prevents the potential spread of the virus.”
Sanccob’s dedicated staff and volunteers continue to work tirelessly to provide round-the-clock care, nutrition and treatment to ensure every chick has the best possible chance of survival and release back into the wild.
Positive for HPAI
Sanccob confirmed the first African Penguin has tested positive for HPAI, marking a new development in ongoings outbreak among Western Cape seabirds.
In August almost 1 000 seabirds have now been confirmed with HPAI, and the spread remains deeply concerning. TygerBurger previously reported that since early July, a new outbreak of HPAI has been confirmed in wild seabirds across the province, the first wild-bird detections since April 2024.
Infected birds often display neurological signs, such as tremors, head twitches and seizures. While HPAI occasionally infects mammals and humans, experts emphasise that the risk to the public remains very low when basic safety precautions are followed.
