As a Zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we participate in the AZA’s SAFE Programs. SAFE stands for Saving Animals from Extinction. The AZA SAFE African Penguin program is a collaborative initiative with other zoos to aid in the efforts of in situ conservation programming. Zoos and aquariums like ours have joined forces with organizations in South Africa such as SANCCOB to develop ideas and implement projects in an effort to stop and reverse the threat of extinction for African penguins.
These initiatives include
Disaster response projects, which are creating more standardized protocols for oil spill response.
Artificial nest projects are creating new nesting sites for birds in areas that have been depleted of proper nesting materials.
Identification projects are tagging penguins and then tracking their movement.
The marine movement project is following fish to see where and how well the penguins are feeding.
Additionally, considerable focus has been put into Robben Island, which is located off the coast of Cape Town and is home to a colony of African penguins as well as other seabirds at risk. Health monitoring projects have helped establish a permanent Seabird Ranger on Robben Island to provide immediate care for injured or ill birds before transport to SANCCOB. Andile Mdluli has been living on Robben Island for two years as the island’s first Seabird Ranger. His role on the island is to provide continuous monitoring of the birds. He looks for birds that are injured or in distress and can provide immediate stabilization care, checks nests and identifies the birds using microchip and GPS technology. Andile can note chicks in the nest and check those nests frequently to ensure the chicks are safe and growing. He has become active in placing GPS trackers on birds to follow their movement while at sea.
But Andile’s job does not end with hands-on monitoring of the birds. Tourism on the island is high and this has caused conflict between people and the birds. Tours gave very little information about the penguins and areas where the birds were nesting had little protection from cars and other dangers. Andile has been working with the tourist company and the security on the island to enhance measures that put the well-being of the birds as a top priority. He has developed programming that educates the tourists about the birds and worked to increase awareness of the bird’s movement around the island. Having Andile on Robben Island had become invaluable for the penguins and seabirds that live there.Seneca Park Zoo has been a supporter of this Robben Island Ranger program. It’s through donations like yours, at the Zoo and especially on World Penguin Day, that projects like this are possible.
There’s a good chance you have picked up some sustainable behaviors – intentionally or not – as you’ve adjusted to a new routine during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many of us are sheltering in place, we are no longer driving our cars every day, we are shopping less, and we are carefully planning out our meals. You may have even picked up a new hobby that involves stepping away from your screens or getting outside. As carbon emissions decline, our planet is showing signs of a temporary rebound. We are seeing clearer skies, cleaner waterways, and signs of hope for our Earth. This poses the question – what could our world look like if we lived sustainably? During this time, we have an opportunity to look at our personal lifestyles and find ways to form sustainable habits, and keep them after the world returns to normalcy.
Our current society often falls victim to a culture of excessive consumerism, which damages planetary health on multiple levels. We want stylish clothes, the newest technology, Pinterest-worthy home décor, the best foods, and a thriving social life. We don’t always pause to think about the pollution created by factories as our new clothes and furniture are produced, or the fact that constantly buying new electronics is causing rapid destruction of gorilla habitat. We don’t read all the labels on our food to find out if it’s contributing to the decline of animal populations, or think about the destructive carbon emissions that transportation methods create when we travel. However, once we come to these realizations, we become aware of the impact our individual lifestyle has on our earth’s health.
“We humans are part of the natural world—we relate to each other and with all the other animals who inhabit the planet with us.” -Dr. Jane Goodall
The human race has a responsibility to care for our planet, and to make it better for not only our future generations but also for the natural world we depend on. Our actions create a ripple effect, and we choose whether they are helpful or harmful to the environment. This poses the question: where and how do we start becoming sustainable? You may not be aware of it, but you have probably already started. Compare your current routine to your pre-pandemic routine. If you are carefully planning your meals and making less trips to the grocery store, you are likely reducing your food waste. If you are unable to shop for new goods, may find yourself upcycling items around your house or fixing things you would have otherwise thrown away, reducing factory demand. If you are going stir crazy indoors and have found a new outdoor hobby, you are saving electricity. Take some time to evaluate your current “new normal”, discover the sustainable habits you have picked up, and plan to incorporate them into your post-pandemic lifestyle.We have the ability to spend this time creating a better plan for the future of our planet. We are learning that what we thought may have been impossible measures, are very possible. This is the time to take action – educate yourself on sustainability, and choose to conserve our planet.
– Annie Wheeler, Lead Naturalist for ProgramsHelpful resources on sustainable living:
