How penguins live in Africa

Everyone knows that penguins live in Antarctica, on nearby islands and in the temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere. All right. In addition, penguins can be found on the coast of South America, Australia, New Zealand and even in Africa. Yes, it is just in Africa that one of the 18 known species of these flightless birds lives, called the African (or spectacled) penguin.

It seems unbelievable, but today in Africa there are about 150,000 penguins who feel quite comfortable here. Their habitat includes the southern coast of Africa: South Africa and Namibia. They can also be found on nearby islands.

It is this part of Africa that is washed by the cold current that ensures the prosperity of penguins. Penguins are known to feed on fish, so their entire existence is inextricably linked to the sea. The cold Bengal Current is oxygenated and therefore rich in aquatic life. Flowing along the southwestern tip of Africa, it provides stable feeding resources for spectacular penguins that live only in this region of the continent.

Spectacled penguins are not the largest representatives of their family. Their weight ranges from 3 to 5 kilograms, and their height is about 70 centimeters. The males are somewhat larger than the females. The lifespan of these birds is about 10-12 years. The voice of the African penguins resembles the cry of a donkey, so they are also called donkey penguins. Colonies of these African birds are located on rocky shores or on sandy beaches.

Today, these penguins are listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of South Africa as an endangered species. This was done due to the catastrophic reduction in their numbers from 2 million individuals to 150 thousand over the past century. This happened, as usual on our planet, through the fault of people who collected penguin eggs in huge quantities. Another important factor influencing the number of penguins was the reduction of their original habitats: the coastline is actively inhabited by people.

Today, a number of measures have been introduced to protect this unique species. Not the last role in this was played by tourists visiting South Africa. The fact is that foreigners are always happy to be on the coast, where African penguins live. Friendly penguin families on sandy beaches are a pretty exotic sight. Therefore, trips to such areas are included in most tours of the Republic of South Africa.