11 May 2024 , 16:43
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Wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan has come face-to-face with many species teetering on the brink of extinction.
But it is one living on her doorstep that has really impacted her. She met with me on Foxy Beach in Cape Town last week to issue a stark warning about her favourite bird - one that is dangerously close to extinction. Numbers of African Penguins have plummeted from over one million breeding pairs in the 1900s to less than 10,000 today - a decline of 95%.
The crisis is so severe the species could disappear in the wild as soon as 2035 if severe measures are not taken to ensure their survival. The presenter, 58, who will appear on screens later this month for a new series of Springwatch, said: “I have lived in Cape Town for the past 22 years and these birds are iconic to this part of the world. I can’t imagine them not being here. To lose such a charismatic species would be absolutely devastating for the planet. This is not going to happen on my watch.”
Michaela first discovered their plight after she volunteered for the South African National Federation for the Conservation of Sea Birds (SANCCOB) (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)As I sat on the rocks at Foxy Beach, part of Table Mountain National Park with TV’s Michaela, we watched several penguins swimming in the chilly Indian Ocean, while parents tended to their chicks. Tourists were starting to gather on the wooden viewing platform to take pictures of the birds, one of the few mainland colonies.
“Just look how charismatic these animals are,” says Michaela, who lives in Cape Town with her partner, Nick Chevallier, a wildlife cameraman. It is not a surprise to hear that the species is her favourite as she is wearing a silver penguin necklace, alongside dangly earrings in the shape of the African continent.
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Around 500 penguin chicks are cared for each year at the sanctuary as numbers in the wild continue to decline (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)Meanwhile, a man wades into the water and starts swimming alongside the penguins. She said: “This place is really unique. I don’t think there are many places where you could do that. I have been to this beach many times with my family.I feel terribly fond of penguins. They have a special place in my heart."
Michalea, also known for presenting The Wide Awake Club, The Really Wild Show and Countryfile, told how she first discovered their plight after she volunteered for the South African National Federation for the Conservation of Sea Birds (SANCCOB), a charity that helps endangered African penguins.
"Most people don't realise there are penguins in Africa and very few people realise that they're highly endangered," she says. "Even people in Cape Town think that they're abundant because there are lots of them on the beach. They don’t realise that many of the colonies are in a really bad way.”
The crisis is so severe the species could disappear in the wild as soon as 2035 if severe measures are not taken to ensure their survival (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)She explained how looking after the penguins was really tricky as she “was bitten non-stop and pooed on,” adding: “You should see the state of my hand afterwards.” Michaela said that she also “stank of fish” everyday but the work is vital in helping penguin chicks that would have otherwise died.
During her work at the sanctuary she took on the role of mum to penguin chicks who need cleaning, medical aid and rehabilitating before they can be released back into the wild. She said: "Some of the birds are really stressed, and you have to grab and hold them to open their beaks and force a fish down. They're small but strong."
There are now only 8,300 pairs of breeding African Penguins left in South Africa, making them a species rarer than White Rhinos. It is predicted the species will be functionally extinct by 2035 - just 11 years time. Michaela Strachan added: “The main threats penguins are facing are also having an impact on species in the UK, like puffins. It is not isolated to South Africa. This is a global issue.” We must solve these issues in order to protect seabirds all over the world."