Episode Information

THE AFRICAN PENGUIN IS FIGHTING FOR SURIVAL... WELL KNOWN WILDLIFE PRESENTER AND CONSERVATION ENTHUSIAST MICHAELA STRACHAN IS ON A MISSION TO HELP THEM. After 10 years living in her adopted home of Cape Town, South Africa, the peninsula’s penguins have found a special place in Michaela’s heart, which is why she is taking action and joining one of Africa's biggest bird rescues. As the newest recruit to the SANCCOB chick bolstering team, Michaela will be finding out why the penguin numbers have crashed so dramatically and what can be done to save them. Every year SANCCOB (the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) stages a dramatic rescue of hundreds of penguin chicks whose parents have been unable to feed them due to adverse conditions. For a frenetic 6 weeks its all hands to the deck as up to 500 helpless chicks must be rescued, cared for, taught survival skills and ultimately be released back into the wild. Also Available is a 1 hour special. Michaela will be following the chicks’ progress from collection from release, with hands on training and a gruelling care schedule to follow. Along the way she will be discovering the threats facing the African penguin’s future – from overfishing to disasterous oil spills. In the process falling in love all over again with these endearing characters. And most importantly revealing how volunteers and conservationist are able to take action now to change the future of Africa’s enigmatic penguins.