The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) was opened in Gansbaai on 26th February 2015, marking a monumental milestone for the conservation of the African penguin and other marine birds in the Overstrand region of the Western Cape.
Operated by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, the APSS is an innovative, first of its kind facility featuring a custom designed, world-class, marine bird rehabilitation centre that will provide temporary rehabilitative care to diseased, displaced, injured, oiled and abandoned marine birds, with a special focus on the endangered African penguin. Marine bird rescue, rehabilitation and release form part of the management plan to conserve and maintain African penguins and other marine bird populations along the South African coastline.
APSS’s location near Dyer Island is crucial, as Dyer Island is widely accepted as one of the most important coastal island systems in South Africa and is internationally recognized as an IBA (Important Bird Area). Throughout the year, Dyer Island hosts over 29 species of seabirds, many threatened or endangered, and contains one of the last strongholds of the endangered African penguin.
As a result of over fishing, by-catch and oil pollution, the population for many of these African endemic species of seabird is at an all time low, and their slow rate of breeding means that their numbers are struggling to compensate.
The APSS facility features a unique rehabilitation area with a specialised floor, laboratory and clinic and its rehabilitation techniques will be honed to afford birds individual treatment with minimum stress. This maximises their recovery and offers them the best chance of survival when released back into the wild. Working closely with their conservation partners, Cape Nature and the Department of Environmental Affairs, the best possible rehabilitation practices are being applied at this facility and through continued research, education and awareness programmes, the APSS aims to mitigate the human impact on marine bird colonies.
This cache was placed with the permission of Xolani Lawo (Rehabilitation Manager) and the rest of the team at APSS.
PLEASE STAY CLEAR OF THE BUILDING WHEN RETRIEVING THE CACHE DURING AFTERHOURS AS NOT TO SET OFF THE PERIMETER ALARM.
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