SANParks rangers discovered something very interesting on Buffels Bay in Cape Point on Wednesday – a rare King Penguin.
What makes the sighting so exciting is that this type of penguin is not normally found in South Africa – the massive penguin hails from the islands of Antarctica and the Falklands.
“This has gained a tremendous amount of interest from birders across the country, therefore we urge the public to keep their distance from the penguin as his activity will be monitored over the next few days,” posted Table Mountain National Park on their Facebook page.
SANCCOB officials have already checked if the bird has any ailments, but gave the penguin the all-clear. For now they will leave the bird as is and keep monitoring its activities. Rangers will be looking after the big guy for now and will make sure the crowds keep their distance.
The King Penguin is the second largest penguin in the world, can grow up to 90 centimetres tall and weigh between 15 and 16 kilograms.
https://www.facebook.com/TableMountainNP/posts/3185991378141391
Twitching, South African style. Straight off the plane at Cape Town to news of a King Penguin at Cape Point. Well, it would have been rude not to…. pic.twitter.com/mdtQBfvOJ6
— Paul Roberts (@npaulroberts) October 30, 2019
Pics: Paul Roberts and SANParks
