An alarmed Hout Bay resident warned people to be more cautious in the Simon’s Town area after penguins were accidentally driven over in Boulders Beach recently.
“In the last 4 months, 2 penguins have been accidentally run over in the parking lot outside Boulders Lodge (across the road). This is most distressing as it could be avoided if there was a guard to check that people checked under the cars before they reversed, or if there was sufficient warning by way of signage,” wrote Vivienne de Villiers.
Penguins being ridden over in Parking lot due to inefficient public warning…
I have been most distressed to have the…
Posted by Vivienne de Villiers on Wednesday, 22 July 2020
De Villiers added that there is existing signage in the parking lot, but these are not clearly visible from the road.
Motorists visiting the area are urged to check for penguins before reversing or driving off. Check under cars and take a good look around before starting your vehicle, especially during dusk and dawn when visibility is poor.
Another problem noted by De Villiers are dog walkers with their pets not on leashes. “People are irresponsible with dogs not on leashes and walking off the path as there is not enough supervision during lockdown,” De Villiers told Cape Town Etc.
The African penguin is endangered and populations are dwindling. There are only about 13,000 breeding pairs of African penguins left in South Africa, according to the Daily Maverick.
Anyone who comes across an injured seabird in Cape Town is advised to contact SANCCOB on +27 21 557 6155 or +27 78 638 3731 after hours.
Picture: Pexels