African penguins are critically endangered seabirds whose population has collapsed by 97% since the early 20th century due to overfishing, oil spills, climate change, and historical guano collection.
African penguins suffer from multiple simultaneous threats. Oil contamination from tanker spills causes hypothermia, toxic ingestion, and feather degradation. Fishing competition depletes sardines and anchovies around their colonies. Nest burrow loss from guano harvesting means birds now nest in the open, exposing eggs and chicks to heat stress. Predation pressure from cape fur seals and avian predators is elevated at disturbed colonies. Climate change is shifting fish populations south, away from breeding colonies. SANCCOB in Cape Town has successfully rehabilitated thousands of oiled penguins. A legal battle over establishment of an exclusion zone for fishing around major colonies is ongoing.