The State of the African Penguin a Simon’S Town Perspective

THE STATE OF THE AFRICAN PENGUIN A SIMON’S TOWN PERSPECTIVE

Dr Katrin Ludynia

Research Manager SANCCOB

(+27) 21 557 6155 [email protected] www.sanccob.co.za DISTRIBUTION

28 colonies in Namibia, Western Cape & Eastern Cape

Boulders/Simon’s Town & Stony Point only mainland colonies in South Africa

www.sanccob.co.za POPULATION NUMBERS

Currently 23 000 breeding pairs (~19 000 in SA + ~ 4000 in Namibia)

Listed as ENDANGERED by IUCN (since 2010)

Less than 3% of the historic population left in the wild

Source: Crawford et al. 2017

www.sanccob.co.za THREATS

Historically, egg and guano harvest

Raggycharters.co.za Thecasualobserver.co.za Timothée Cook Current threats (as identified in the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan, gazetted in 2013)

• Food shortage and spatial/temporal mismatch of main prey (sardines, anchovy) • Lack of suitable breeding habitat, habitat destruction • Disturbance, introduced predators, natural predators • Climate change (wave run up, flooding, heat waves) • Oil spills & chronic oiling • Diseases

www.sanccob.co.za POPULATION NUMBERS – SIMON’S TOWN

1400 First 2 breeding pairs in 1985 at Boulders Beach 1200 1000 Highest number of breeding pairs: 800 ~1220 pairs in 2005 600 400

200

Since 2007, numbers fluctuating around 800 breeding pairs

www.sanccob.co.za FALSE BAY

Source: Petersen et al. 2006

Source: SANParks

www.sanccob.co.za SIMON’S TOWN / BOULDERS

Colony has extended outside the Boulders Table Mountain National Park area

Penguins currently breeding from IMT & Seaforth Beach to south of Windmill Beach & Franks Bay

Breeding areas include IMT, Navy, CoCT and TMNP

www.sanccob.co.za MONITORING

Development of joint monitoring protocol for the Simon’s Town Penguin Management Area

Annual counts, nest counts (off peak), nest checks (breeding success), moult counts, transponder work, recording of predation events and interventions, disease surveillance

www.sanccob.co.za PENGUIN MONITORS

Since 2011, SANCCOB funded Penguin Monitors on duty in Burgher’s Walk area (employed through CTEET)

Since 2017, CoCT funded Area Manager overseeing all activities outside TMNP (employed through SANCCOB)

www.sanccob.co.za RESIDENTIAL SWEEPS

Residential sweeps are conducted by the Penguin Monitors at least three times a week

Penguins in unsafe areas are moved back into the colony (inside Boulders)

Eggs and chicks are being transported to SANCCOB for hand-rearing

www.sanccob.co.za RESIDENTIAL CLEARANCES – SANCCOB STATISTICS

2017 >150 chicks and >150 eggs admitted to SANCCOB 67% hatching success and >75% of chicks successfully released (~20 still at SANCCOB)

2012-2016 >620 chicks admitted to SANCCOB from Simon’s Town and Boulders >630 eggs admitted

Release rates for chicks admitted and hatched at SANCCOB 88% in 2015 & 2016

www.sanccob.co.za SANCCOB ADMISSIONS

Oiled African penguins African penguins admitted to SANCCOB WC between 2001 and 2016

Injured African penguins

www.sanccob.co.za SANCCOB ADMISSIONS

African penguins admitted to SANCCOB WC between 2001 and 2016 African penguin chicks

Injured African penguins

www.sanccob.co.za RELEASES AT SIMON’S TOWN

SANCCOB regularly releases penguins at Boulders

>2000 African penguins released at Boulders/Simon’s Town since 2001 (140 in 2017 so far)

www.sanccob.co.za TRANSPONDER WORK

Subcutaneous transponders are being inserted into African penguins at all main breeding colonies and at rehab centres

Penguins at Simon’s Town transpondered since 2016 Ground reader to be installed at Boulders

www.sanccob.co.za PENGUIN FESTIVAL

Yearly event since 2009

Public Penguin Release, Education, Kids Programme, Talks

Several hundred people attending every year