I don’t normally post about awareness issues and such on this platform. I have since figured that my blog may be a good way to share my photographs as well as occasionally raise some awareness around endangered species/environmental issues etc, which are constantly bothering me.
The first animal I will be writing about is the African Penguin (AKA Jackass Penguin). These flightless birds are indigenous to the coasts of South Africa and Namibia and are found nowhere else on Earth. They have a decreasing population that currently stands at 75,000-80,000 and they are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
In Cape Town, their nesting area is a gold mine and attracts tourists in droves. This has unfortunately led to the birds consuming litter that people have left behind. A recent outbreak of avian influenza has also knocked this already fragile colony of only 1 700 birds.