MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / The African Penguin: Here today, gone tomorrow

The African Penguin: Here today, gone tomorrow

Super Sandman Innocent Zungu building 20 African Penguin Sand Sculptures to highlight the plight of the penguins for World Seabird Day on 3 July.

The African Penguin is predicted to be extinct in the wild by 2035 after its numbers have declined by 99% in the past 120 years. To highlight the impermanence of the species, SANCCOB and BirdLife South Africa commissioned this sand art installation at Big Bay Beach near Bloubergstrand, South Africa, to mark World Seabird Day on July 3rd.

The art serves as a stark reminder that while these beautiful creatures may be with us today, they could be gone tomorrow. In fact, in the days it took “Super Sandman” Innocent Zungu to create the installation, the penguins were vandalised three times by unruly revellers on the beach.

SANCCOB’s Dr David Roberts says, “The penguins are made out of sand to symbolise that they are disappearing. They’re here today, gone tomorrow unless we do something about it. These sand sculptures will slowly be eroded by the sea showing how fragile the Penguin population is.”

For more information about the plight of the African Penguin please visit:

www.penguinalert.org

And if you would like to contribute to the protection of this iconic species, please visit:

Save The African Penguin (givengain.com)

Author: Daniel Roodt

Category: Tag: , , ,

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The child who claims to know as many proverbs as his father should be allowed to pay taxes

  2. Fun South African Fact: South Africa has continuously paid tribute to Dr Christiaan Barnard’s groundbreaking medical achievements.