African penguins have been establishing new mainland colonies in South Africa, raising complex questions about wildlife management, human-penguin coexistence, and the welfare of a critically endangered species.
African penguins at mainland colonies face welfare challenges distinct from those at traditional island sites. Terrestrial predators including baboons raid nests and kill adults. Nest disturbance from tourists reduces breeding success at heavily visited colonies. Gulls steal food and attack chicks. Despite these challenges, mainland colonies represent the species expanding its range in response to shifting prey availability, and management must balance conservation value against individual welfare costs. The dominant welfare threat remains prey fish depletion from commercial fishing, which forces adults to travel further from colonies to find food, reducing chick feeding rates and breeding success across all colonies.