Kirshia Govender of the International Ocean Institute cradles an injured African penguin that climbed onto her kayak before being rushed to SANCCOB for rehabilitation. What began as a routine ocean outing turned into an extraordinary wildlife rescue after a young African penguin climbed onto a kayak and into the arms of a paddler off the Cape coast. Govender said she immediately sensed something was wrong due to the bird’s unusual behaviour.
As it moved closer, the penguin allowed itself to be cradled before hopping onto her kayak and into her arms. “Super vocal, it expressed a sense of relief, almost thanking me for helping it,” she wrote. Govender noticed the penguin was injured on its underside and appeared to be in distress.
The group decided to paddle back to shore immediately to get the bird help from SANCCOB. The 30-minute journey back to shore saw the penguin resting calmly on Govender’s lap and shoulder, chirping back as she spoke to it. Despite her experience working with African penguins, she said the encounter felt different. “Having worked with African penguins, I’m familiar with their sharp beaks and nasty pecks, but this penguin felt genuinely safe, and I felt safe keeping it close,” she said, adding that the bird even began preening itself and attempted to preen her.
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