63 penguins found dead at Boulders Beach with multiple bee stings Posted by David Henning on 20 September 2021 A swarm of bees seems to have been responsible for the death of 63 African penguins, an endangered species, on Friday 17 September 2021 at Boulders Beach in Simonstown. A SANParks statement said that the death occurred sometime between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, with officials, advisors and veterinarians from SANParks, the City of Cape Town, and penguin experts from the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) investigating the possible cause of death. The penguins were transported to SANCCOB for post-mortems, and biological samples were sent for disease and toxicology testing. No external injuries were found on the birds, and post-mortems revealed that the penguins suffered multiple bee stings, with many dead bees found at the site of death. Thus far, the preliminary investigations suggest that the penguins died after being stung by Cape honey bees. A dead penguin was also found on Fish Hoek beach on Saturday, having also sustained multiple bee stings. Samples are still being tested for other toxicity possibilities and diseases to rule out any other potential causes, and the situation will be closely monitored by SANCCOB and SANParks. Picture: Getaway Gallery ALSO READ Facts about African penguins and how to help save this endangered bird Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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