Found a bird? Contact our 24-hour Seabird Rescue Centre
or adopt an egg or chick
undergoing rehabilitation
for release back into the wild
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VOLUNTEER
If you found an African penguin in distress …. lying sick or injured on the beach … in danger of being attacked by dogs or run over by a car … or an abandoned chick calling helplessly for food … you’d do what you could to try and save it.
But what if you could still save these iconic and highly endangered birds – even when you’re nowhere near the beach? This is what happens when you partner with our dedicated penguin rangers … by contributing towards the cost of keeping them out in the field.
Penguin rangers keep close watch over the colonies at Boulders Beach, Stony Point and on Robben Island … rescuing distressed, sick or injured birds, chicks or eggs, and relocating those nesting in unsafe areas or in danger from predators.
Their skill and dedication have saved thousands of endangered African penguins who would not otherwise have made it. Even before the birds get to SANCCOB, rangers are responsible for stabilising them and then making sure they are safely transported to SANCCOB.
They also pass on valuable information to our research team, by reporting sightings of microchipped penguins, which gives us insight into the movement and behaviour of the birds.
But they can’t do it without support from others who care about saving the African penguin. People like you!
Please consider making a contribution now – in celebration of World Ranger Day on 31 July – to provide our penguin rangers with the funds they need to cover the cost of vehicle maintenance, fuel and equipment, such as mobile incubators for abandoned eggs and chicks.
Although your contribution will go towards vital equipment, what you’re really ‘buying’ is a future for the iconic and highly endangered African penguin. These birds need protection from everyone to reverse the dwindling numbers and prevent the slide towards extinction. So please, support our penguin rangers now.
Rescued chicks are placed safely in cardboard boxes for transport to SANCCOB’s seabird rescue centre in Table View.
Note: SANCCOB’s penguin rangers initiative is in partnership with CapeNature, South African National Parks (SANParks), Robben Island Museum, the City of Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) and Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET) to protect and conserve this endangered species facing extinction without our collaborative efforts.
BE PART OF THE NEXT RESCUE
Last winter, caring supporters like you helped us save 30 oiled penguins and their 4 chicks from Bird and St Croix Islands.
The birds were taken to our seabird centre in Cape St Francis, where trained staff and volunteers washed, fed and cared for them for 4-6 weeks, while they regained their strength and the natural waterproofing of their feathers.
The chicks, which were less than three weeks old and weighed only 500 grams, were hand-reared at SANCCOB. All 34 birds were successfully released back into the wild.
WHAT WE DO
SANCCOB saves seabirds
RESCUE
SANCCOB provides a 24/7 rescue service for sick and injured seabirds and abandoned chicks. We respond to oil spill disasters along the South African coastline.
REHABILITATION
SANCCOB is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of seabird rehabilitation. We treat 2500 injured, sick and oiled seabirds annually.
CHICK REARING
Our specialist chick rearing unit saves African penguin eggs and chicks that have been abandoned, for subsequent release back into the wild.
EDUCATION
We offer various engaging lessons for children and adults, including tours of the facilities, presentations and encounters with our Ambassador penguins.
TRAINING
We offer 3 and 6 month internships for adults, as well as a zoo and aquarium keeper exchange programme and veterinary experience courses.
RESEARCH
Ongoing research increases our understanding of seabird species’ behaviour, diseases and other factors that impact on their long-term survival.
LATEST NEWS
Join us for our annual SANCCOB Benefit Auction Get ready to celebrate 50 years of saving seabirds with us, at…
Volunteer Open Day Want to find out all about what volunteering at SANCCOB involves? Join us this Saturday, 2 June,…
Avian Influenza affects seabirds in the wild The H5N8 strain of the avian influenza virus has been detected in a…
HOW TO HELP
FOUND A BIRD?
all us any time of the day or night. SANCCOB is a 24-hour Seabird Rescue Centre and will respond to all seabirds in distress, including African Penguins, Cape Gannets, Terns, Cormorants, Seagulls, Oystercatchers, Albatrosses, Petrels, Pelicans and other marine birds.
CAPE TOWN
+27 (0)21 557 6155
+27 (0) 78 638 3731 (after hours & weekends)
CAPE ST. FRANCIS
+27 (0)42 298 0160
+27 (0)82 890 0207 (after hours & weekends)
Depending on the nature of the injury and the location of the seabird, we will dispatch one of our own Rescue Units, offer stabilisation advice or put you in contact with the nearest organisation that can assist.
What to do when you find an injured/sick/oiled seabird:
- Please approach any seabird with care – some, such as Cape Gannets and African Penguins, have sharp beaks.
- Have with you a towel or blanket and wear protection over your hands and eyes.
- Throw the towel or blanket over the bird to catch it, ensuring that the bird is able to breathe.
- Place the bird in a large box if you have one, after first ensuring that there are holes for air.
- Keep the bird in a warm quiet place until help arrives
