Ever thought about adopting a penguin?

You have probably heard about and seen the penguins at Boulders Beach or in Betty's Bay, right? Well, as you probably also know these little creatures are suffering way to often from oil spills and other men-made impacts.

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) was founded long time ago to deal with exactly those problems:

• rehabilitate ill, injured, oiled and orphaned sea birds on a daily basis
• prepare for and manage the rehabilitation of sea birds during a major oil spill
• raise awareness about conservation through environmental education collaborate on research projects

SANCCOB aims to protect and conserve southern Africa’s coastal birds, especially threatened species, for the benefit of present and future generations. Recent research by the Avian Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town has shown that the African Penguin population is 19% higher today than it would have been in the absence of SANCCOB’s efforts in rehabilitation.

So what about adopting a penguin?

Penguin adoptions are quite simple. Each year during our busy winter season (June-November) we photograph each rehabilitated penguin before it is released back into the wild. Each bird receives a metal flipper-band before it is released. The medical history of the bird corresponds to the number on the band and this information is captured onto our database. To adopt a penguin, we look up its number and provide you with:

• a letter of adoption - including a brief medical history (where the bird came from, what was wrong with it, how much it weighed on admission and release etc.) (View Example)
• a photograph of your penguin (View Example)
• a certificate of adoption (View Example)
• back-copies of our newsletter

The documents are then posted to you and your bird can never be adopted by anyone else.
Each adoption costs R500 and the application process takes a minimum of 10-15 working days, excluding posting time. Adoptions are processed the order they are received.
For more information, please see the Adopt a Penguin Application Form.

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