Ayoba was chosen to be an ambassador for his species. This is a very important job – there are only about 60 000 African penguins left in the wild, and scientists believe they could all be extinct within the next 15 years.
Humans, knowingly or not, have been the main cause of their dwindling numbers, and education programmes are vital to ensuring the survival of these cute and charismatic birds. Ayoba lives at the Two Oceans Aquarium, but his role as ambassador benefits all penguinkind in the wild. He regularly visits the children who attend our classes at the Environmental Education Centre and helps people understand our role in the environment and how to live sustainably.
Get your happy feet to the Aquarium on Thursday
On Thursday 25 July, we will give our visitors the chance to celebrate Ayoba’s third birthday with us. Come to a penguin feed at 11h45 and 14h30 – we shall sing happy birthday, and maybe even have a few birthday treats to hand out!
Aquarium staff will also present Ayoba with a special birthday present (they won’t tell him what it is yet, but it involves fish!).
(Read about Ayoba’s birth, his first birthday and his second birthday)
Make your Penguin Promise
You can help raise awareness about the plight of the African penguin by visiting penguinpromses.com and making your promise. They also have a nifty list of things you can do right now to support the initiative.
Adopt a penguin with SANCCOB
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) offers businesses and members of the public the opportunity to ‘adopt a penguin’, by naming it and paying for its rehabilitation and release back into the wild. Check out their latest advertising campaign below:
Stay in touch: for daily Aquarium updates, talk to us on Twitter (@2OceansAquarium) and become a fan on Facebook.
