It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Agape, one of the much loved African penguins at the Two Oceans Aquarium. Senior Penguin Keeper Shanet Rutgers had this to say:
“Where do I begin. Agape, hatched on 13 August 2013 and raised by his parents George and Gaia. When George passed away, we were worried because it can be quite daunting for one parent to raise a chick. We spent a long time assisting his mum, Gaia, by feeding Agape extra fish on the side, until she decided to move in with Laduma and they both ended up raising Agape. Agape is Greek for “brotherly love” and that's exactly what this penguin has shown. He was gentle, handsome and much loved by Aquarium staff who had the chance to work with him.
I remember how entertaining weigh-ins could be as he would push the other birds out of the way only just to stand on the scale and not allow the other birds to get onto the scale and we would have to pick him up and move him aside. He also loved practising his hiding skills. Sometimes playing hide and seek with his mate Nia and stealing nesting material from the other birds, these quirks made him the favourite bird among the keepers.”
Shortly after Agape’s seventh birthday a few months ago, his keepers noticed that he was losing weight and refusing to eat. The decision was made to take Agape to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) where he could receive full-time monitoring by their excellent veterinary team, and when it became clear that his condition was not improving quickly, his mate Nia was also taken to SANCCOB so that the birds could remain in each other’s company. The cause of Agape’s distress was found to be cancer affecting his beak, mouth and throat.
Unfortunately, despite many months of consultation between the Aquarium and SANCCOB’s veterinary teams, and with outside veterinary surgeons, it was deemed that the tumour affecting Agape was inoperable. Despite the constant care he received, Agape’s condition was continuing to deteriorate, and he would never have been able to regain the ability to eat normally. With no route to recovery, the difficult, but ethical, decision was made to euthanise Agape on 21 December.*
This brings a peaceful end to the life of an amazing animal that gave us seven years of laughs and shenanigans and was an all-round favourite animal ambassador. Agape might not be survived by any chicks at the Aquarium, but he was one of the first African penguins to ever contribute to research into the viability of using sperm banks to save his endangered species – decades from now, all wild African penguins could have Agape to thank for their survival!
*It's our policy to hold off on announcing the passing of high-profile Aquarium animals until a postmortem study has been performed and all the facts are available.
