The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) has started building a new, state-of-the-art rehabilitation pool with six associated pens for seabird patients at its Port Elizabeth centre.
The new structure will facilitate the day-to-day treatment and rehabilitation of seabirds as well as improve as the flow of seabirds undergoing rehabilitation.
While the foundation has already broken ground on the rehabilitation pool, it has launched a “build-a-pool” public appeal to garner support.
The foundation’s CEO, Dr Stephen van der Spuy, said the Port Elizabeth facility received injured or sick seabirds, mostly from St Croix and Bird islands, where the country’s largest populations of endangered African penguins and Cape gannets are found.
“The new rehabilitation pool we are fundraising for will have six associated rehabilitation pens, alike in design to the north and south pools at our Cape Town centre.
“There will be filtration for the pool to keep the water clean and reduce water consumption, roofs for shelter and drains for easy cleaning,” Van der Spuy said.
The total cost of the project was just under R1.7m and seed funding of R770,000 from the National Lotteries Commission had allowed the foundation to set the construction of the pool and pens in motion.
“Sanccob’s build-a-pool initiative is a public appeal campaign to raise R100,000 to supplement funding and is an opportunity to donate and partner with the nonprofit organisation to help complete the project,” Van der Spuy said.
In 2018, the PE centre admitted 210 African penguins and 108 flying seabirds.
An oil spill in Algoa Bay in July caused the oiling of more than 100 seabirds.
As a result, the organisation admitted 92 oiled African penguins, 13 oiled Cape gannets and three oiled Cape cormorants, along with 17 African penguin chicks.
The foundation’s chick-rearing supervisor, Romy Klusener, said the new facility would accommodate about 50 birds a pool, each with access to the main rehabilitation pool, improving rehabilitation times.
Call to help fund bird rehab pool at Port Elizabeth centre
Image: Fredlin Adriaan
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) has started building a new, state-of-the-art rehabilitation pool with six associated pens for seabird patients at its Port Elizabeth centre.
The new structure will facilitate the day-to-day treatment and rehabilitation of seabirds as well as improve as the flow of seabirds undergoing rehabilitation.
While the foundation has already broken ground on the rehabilitation pool, it has launched a “build-a-pool” public appeal to garner support.
The foundation’s CEO, Dr Stephen van der Spuy, said the Port Elizabeth facility received injured or sick seabirds, mostly from St Croix and Bird islands, where the country’s largest populations of endangered African penguins and Cape gannets are found.
“The new rehabilitation pool we are fundraising for will have six associated rehabilitation pens, alike in design to the north and south pools at our Cape Town centre.
“There will be filtration for the pool to keep the water clean and reduce water consumption, roofs for shelter and drains for easy cleaning,” Van der Spuy said.
The total cost of the project was just under R1.7m and seed funding of R770,000 from the National Lotteries Commission had allowed the foundation to set the construction of the pool and pens in motion.
“Sanccob’s build-a-pool initiative is a public appeal campaign to raise R100,000 to supplement funding and is an opportunity to donate and partner with the nonprofit organisation to help complete the project,” Van der Spuy said.
In 2018, the PE centre admitted 210 African penguins and 108 flying seabirds.
An oil spill in Algoa Bay in July caused the oiling of more than 100 seabirds.
As a result, the organisation admitted 92 oiled African penguins, 13 oiled Cape gannets and three oiled Cape cormorants, along with 17 African penguin chicks.
The foundation’s chick-rearing supervisor, Romy Klusener, said the new facility would accommodate about 50 birds a pool, each with access to the main rehabilitation pool, improving rehabilitation times.
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