Life's a beach for South African penguins

January 17, 1998
Web posted at: 10:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- Visitors to Boulders Beach on the South African coast get a rare treat -- an up-close-and-personal visit with a group of jackass penguins.

A flock of the penguins, with their distinct vertical black-and-white markings, took up residence on the Cape Town beach in 1985. More than a decade of contact with people has made the birds very tame.

Indeed, they'll waddle right up to the tourists and parade for the cameras on their way from the water to their breeding grounds in the dunes.

A rope in the sand marks a section where only the birds are allowed to tread. Volunteers also patrol the beach every day, making sure that visitors do not disturb the penguins.

Automobiles pose one of the biggest dangers for the birds. In the summer, penguins like to hide under the vehicles for shade, and some have been run over.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 

Related sites:

• See related sites about Africa

---

 

---

Sound off on our message boards & chat