SANCCOB Seabird Hospital © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks
In 2024, the African Penguin was re-classified as critically endangered. The population size has decreased to less than 10, 000 breeding pairs left in the wild. Injured and sick penguins receive dedicated specialized treatment at The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) seabird hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Every patient requires precise clinical management. Treatment protocols start with patient stabilisation through fluid therapy, thermal regulation, parasite management, pain control, wound treatment and specialised feeding to safely improve body condition. They identify the specific disease and the extent of injuries through clinical examinations, blood sample analysis and radiography (X-rays), and then provide specialised medical and surgical treatment, often treating severe injuries. The objective is to restore full physiological function to give individual birds a second chance to thrive and breed in the wild. In 2025 alone, SANCCOB performed over 400 surgical procedures to treat critical injuries and other conditions in African Penguins and other seabirds.
Every penguin, chick and egg counts to give this charismatic species a fighting chance.
