SANCCOB Ranger by © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks
At a time when western society increasingly idolizes mediocrity, sport stars, influencers, podcasters, autotune singers, many of which offer nothing for the greater good. There are conservationists who quietly with no fanfare, risk their all to protect those who are fighting extinction. There are rangers in remote places with limited assets, spending weeks if not months away from their families trying to make things right. These are the people we should be idolizing, not some podcaster who has never left the comfort of their mom’s basement.
SANCCOB collaborates with conservation authorities, such as CapeNature, South African National Parks (SANParks), City of Cape Town, and Robben Island Museum, as well as the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to work toward the protection and restoration of the natural habitat essential for seabirds to survive and the marine ecosystem to function. Throughout the years, SANCCOB has worked with government and conservation authorities to implement several management programmes and projects to conserve the African penguin and other seabird species.
SANCCOB supports 10 Penguin and Seabird Rangers at five vital seabird colonies (Robben Island, Simon’s Town, Stony Point, Dassen Island and Bird Island in Algoa Bay). These rangers play a critical role in seabird conservation by identifying and rescuing injured, oiled, or abandoned seabirds and eggs and transporting them to one of our two SANCCOB centres. The rangers collect valuable data which is used for scientific research, and they ensure that the natural habitat of seabirds is maintained. They also play an important role in monitoring and ensuring human-wildlife coexistence. The skill and dedication of SANCCOB’s Penguin and Seabird Rangers have saved thousands of endangered African penguins and other seabirds that would otherwise not have survived.
