On Tuesday, 13 August 2024, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), hosted a celebratory opening event with ISUZU MOTORS South Africa and various stakeholders to officially open their newly renovated Home Pen enclosure at its Gqeberha premises. The new home pen enclosure is an important feature as it houses 44 African penguins and one Cape Gannet that permanently reside at the Gqeberha facility. These seabirds unfortunately are not fit to be returned to the wild, for various reasons, so will spend their remaining years at the centre. The renovated home pen not only provides the permanent seabirds with a more spacious area to call home but allows tour groups and environmental education programmes to get closer to view these incredible seabird species.
“We received a very generous donation from ISUZU MOTORS South Africa that covered the costs for the renovation of the home pen. We are very grateful for their support to make this project a reality. We’re excited about the impact that this home pen will have on the welfare of our permanent residents and the impact it will have on our environmental education programme and visitor experience,” says, Natalie Maskell, SANCCOB’s Chief Executive Officer.
G2 Construction and Cape Fabric Engineers commenced with the renovation in April 2024 and minor construction to further enhance the area was conducted by Monate Construction in July 2024.
A complete hand-over took place at the end of July 2024.
The endangered African penguin is a species in crisis, with population numbers at an all-time low of less than 8, 500 breeding pairs left in in the wild in South Africa. This represents 1 % of the total population that was present 80 years ago and, most worryingly, the decrease is continuing. Should no further effective management actions be implemented, it is predicted that the African penguin population along the coast of South Africa could be functionally extinct by 2035.
“ISUZU MOTORS South Africa recognises its impact on the environment and is committed to taking action by working with organisations such as SANCCOB in conservation efforts and promoting environmental education to preserve the planet’s natural resources and biodiversity. Our goal is to help create a sustainable future, not only for the seabirds in this sanctuary but for generations of people who will learn from and be inspired to do more to protect our natural resources and biodiversity” says Lebogang Makoloi, Department Executive for Corporate Affairs at ISUZU MOTORS South Africa.
The causes of their decline are complex but include a lack of available food due to competition with commercial fisheries, effects of climate change, predation and maritime associated risks including oil pollution and underwater noise pollution. Each year, SANCCOB hosts thousands of touring and local visitors and school learners, who make their way to SANCCOB to gain insight into seabird rehabilitation and conservation efforts for which the non-profit is renowned worldwide.
We have found that many of the learners and visitors coming to SANCCOB have often not yet had the opportunity to view seabirds up close, hence with the new home pen we have an opportunity to provide all visitors with a life-changing experience that will create awareness about the threats facing our marine ecosystems and hopefully ignite an interest in conservation. With the decline of African penguins taking place at an alarming rate, the more that we educate and advocate, the greater our collective conservation impact will be to save these iconic and charismatic seabird species from going extinct.
Members of the public can book an informative tour at SANCCOB Gqeberha from 9am to 3:30pm, seven days a week. The souvenir shop and Flying Penguin Cafe will be accessible regardless of opting for a paid tour. To visit with school learners, contact the centre at 041 58 6155 or email kamva@sanccob.co.za.
