Dug & Gill Release, with SANCCOB.

RELEASED! Dug & Gill our loveable adopted Penguin DUO have been released into our wild African seas, after spending 130 days at SANCCOB. This long wait, was due to the recent Avian Influenza lock down at SANCCOB Cape Town, but has since been lifted.

We were elated to receive news of the release date and naturally had to be part of this truly wonderful occasion.   A drive out to Betty’s Bay Stony Point Penguin Colony, on a beautiful Thursday, is not a hard ask!  
A couple of checks were done at the centre before the penguins could be released e.g. they let them swim continually in their pond for 2 hours, to ensure that they were strong enough and did not get tired from swimming. Then each penguin’s skin was checked to make sure that it was dry and that their feathers remained waterproof.

24 Penguins were released at the Stony Point Colony, some adults and some juveniles (Blue’s as they are called).  Our penguins were in a box that had to be carefully carried down to the release point – Dug and Gill were very eager and busy, trying to nibble at my fingers through the holes in the box.

Slowly I tipped our box over and had to encourage and nudge them to come out.  The one “Blue” to my left climbed out of his volunteers’ box and climbed straight into mine, wary to leave. We all had a quiet chuckle!  It wasn’t long before they realised what was happening and waddled out of the box, down the beach and into the big blue.

DuGill is truly honoured to have taken part in this initiative with SANCCOB and have learned so much about the role we all play & the impact everyone’s support truly has.  Thank you to SANCCOB’s team, interns and volunteers for the great work that they do!

#Watch this space…

Learn more about this wonderful organisation and how you can support them: www.sanccob.co.za