During recent work in the penguin colonies a testing procedure used was thermal imaging.  Penguins nesting in exposed surface nests were measured with temperatures on their backs exceeding 145 degrees, while those in nests just a couple of feet away were measured at about 80 degrees.  That is an absolutely massive difference for the birds.

The African Penguin has been reclassified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
 

This alarming development places the beloved bird just one step away from extinction in the wild, making it the first of the world's 18 penguin species to reach this critical status.  Without definitive action we could be facing the loss of wild African penguins within the next decade.

With nearly two thousand nests already in seven of the penguin colonies we anxiously await each breeding season to see the results of all the work.  The nests are continuously monitored in all of the colonies and are seeing very high usage rates and a significant number of penguin chicks.  More safe nesting locations means more penguin chicks.