More than 60,000 African penguins have died from starvation on the coast of South Africa.
A new study shows that the birds could not find enough food because sardine numbers have dropped. The main causes are the climate crisis and overfishing.
Between 2004 and 2012, over 95% of the penguins in two big breeding colonies, Dassen Island and Robben Island, disappeared. Penguins need to eat a lot before they moult, which is when they change their feathers.
During this time, they stay on land for about three weeks and cannot eat. Without enough food before or after this period, they cannot survive.
The researchers believe that many penguins died at sea. They do not find many dead penguins on land, which suggests the birds likely died at sea.
The sardines, which are the penguins’ main food, have become very hard to find. Since 2004, the number of sardines in the waters off the west coast of South Africa has stayed at only 25% of what it used to be.
Warmer water and changes in salt levels in the ocean have made it harder for sardines to reproduce. At the same time, fishing levels in the area have stayed high.
African penguins were added to the critically endangered species list in 2024. Today, there are fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left.
Some steps are being taken to help the penguins. Conservationists are building artificial nests, protecting chicks, and caring for injured birds. Fishing near the six largest penguin breeding colonies has been banned. This may help the penguins find more food during important times in their lives.
Experts say the results of the study are very worrying. They also say the situation has not improved since 2011. Fish numbers are still too low, which is a big problem for penguins and other animals that depend on small fish to survive.
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