Starving penguin chicks saved

Hundreds of African penguin chicks were rescued from starvation at penguin colonies near Cape Town, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said.

"The chicks, from mainland and island colonies, were abandoned by their parents and were in danger of starving to death," IFAW spokesman Christina Pretorius said.

"This is the largest number of chicks the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds has cared for at one time since 2007, when 481 abandoned chicks were treated," she said.

A rescue team retrieved 236 chicks from Stony Point, 155 from Dyer Island and 24 from other colonies yesterday. They were taken to the foundation, where they will be hand-reared for about six weeks before being returned to their colonies.

"Chicks that hatch late in the season are frequently abandoned by their parents when the weather grows warmer and as food supplies diminish," Pretorius said.

"The problem is exacerbated by the fact that remaining adult penguins begin their annual moult at this time of the year. During moulting, penguins shed their old feathers and grow new ones, leaving them not waterproof and therefore unable to swim, catch fish and feed their chicks."

The foundation's chief executive Venessa Strauss said hand-reared penguin chicks had a higher chance of surviving to breeding age compared to those fledged in the wild.

African penguin populations have declined by more than 60% in the past three generations, Pretorius said.