African penguins affected by bird flu

Vtwenty-eight penguins du Cap, settled in a colony on a beach at the southern tip of Africa, have succumbed to avian flu since mid-August, worrying scientists about the effects of this epidemic on this crucial breeding site. These animals are “died or caught the disease and consequently had to be put down”said David Roberts, clinical veterinarian with the Southern African Coastal Bird Conservation Foundation. This organization has teamed up with South African National Parks (SANParks) to identify other birds that may have contracted the virus.

Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, located in Simon’s Town on a spectacular coastline about 20 miles from Cape Town, is home to some 3,000 African penguins, a species found exclusively in southern African waters. The bird flu virus, which is usually transmitted through droppings, was detected in the country in May last year and affected various seabirds, according to SANParks.

African penguins are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In South Africa, the number of penguins continues to decline. In Cape Town, a clinic takes care of them by feeding and caring for them.