{"id":296352,"date":"2026-04-28T15:49:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T16:01:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:01:07","slug":"gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/","title":{"rendered":"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>GQEBERHA \u2013 <\/strong>The Eastern Cape has become the frontline in a growing conservation crisis, as the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) responds to a record number of abandoned African penguin eggs and chicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a stronghold for this endangered species, the region is now at the centre of urgent efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and ultimately return vulnerable penguins to the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Driven by a combination of extreme heat and food shortages, penguin parents in the Algoa Bay colonies are being forced to abandon their nests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Eastern Cape, the situation is increasingly dire due to unpredictable flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one recent rescue operation near Gqeberha, 46 chicks were saved after their nests were completely washed away, leaving the vulnerable birds separated from their parents and with no safe ground to return to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/sanccob.co.za\/news\/improving-african-penguin-conservation-through-data-driven-body-condition-monitoring\/#\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/sanccob.co.za\/news\/improving-african-penguin-conservation-through-data-driven-body-condition-monitoring\/#\">SANCCOB<\/a>, the local support from Ford South Africa and the Ford Wildlife Foundation is vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSANCCOBSavesSeabirds%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0waZLbug3WhdgfcqbatQuz2vb4hx292uBKwXKUdchV7o1TZa83UVd7eKP8osaeU3Gl&#038;show_text=true&#038;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"754\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>The city of Gqeberha holds a special place in this mission; it is home to Ford\u2019s engine plant and represents the brand\u2019s 100-year legacy in the country. By providing locally-built Rangers, Ford enables transporting fragile eggs and injured birds in climate-controlled environments from the islands to the Gqeberha centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Bird Island, SANCCOB monitors act as first responders. Working alongside SANParks, they stabilise abandoned chicks before they are transported to the SANCCOB Gqeberha Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once at the centre, teams of staff, interns, and volunteers provide medical care and hand-feeding to ensure the birds reach their &#8220;release weight&#8221; and waterproof status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s a powerful, visual story that tracks the full journey from egg to ocean,&#8221; says SANCCOB. &#8220;It highlights the human effort behind conservation, with teams working 24\/7 to raise and rehabilitate these birds.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SANCCOB has saved more than 100,000 seabirds to date, with 80% of rehabilitated penguins successfully returned to the wild.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SANCCOB&#8217;s Gqeberha centre is battling record penguin abandonments driven by extreme heat, food shortages and flooding in the Eastern Cape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":296354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"74","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"0","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[9209,9210,9211,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-296352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-african-penguins","tag-ford","tag-sanccob","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks | UD Express (Uitenhage)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gqeberha SANCCOB is responding to the surge in abandoned penguin chicks, saving lives in a time of crisis.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gqeberha SANCCOB is responding to the surge in abandoned penguin chicks, saving lives in a time of crisis.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UD Express (Uitenhage)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-28T13:49:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-28T14:01:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1439\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"PE Express\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"PE Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"PE Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/168e2ab8258748d8186b8252ce91d517\"},\"headline\":\"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-28T13:49:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-28T14:01:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":312,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"African Penguins\",\"Ford\",\"SANCCOB\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks | UD Express (Uitenhage)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-28T13:49:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-28T14:01:07+00:00\",\"description\":\"Gqeberha SANCCOB is responding to the surge in abandoned penguin chicks, saving lives in a time of crisis.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":1439,\"caption\":\"SANCCOB staff care for rescued African penguin chicks. PHOTO: FACEBOOK\\\/@SANCCOB saves seabirds\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"UD Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PEExpress1\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/EP_Media24\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@expressonline3000\\\/videos\"],\"description\":\"UD Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Despatch communities since 1971, making it the oldest single-title free sheet in South Africa. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 30,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door across Kariega, Despatch, and surrounding areas every week.\",\"email\":\"udexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"0+2719925650\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/168e2ab8258748d8186b8252ce91d517\",\"name\":\"PE Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/cropped-pe-express-site-icon-96x96.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/cropped-pe-express-site-icon-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/cropped-pe-express-site-icon-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"PE Express\"},\"description\":\"This is some test biographical information for PE Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/author\\\/peexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks | UD Express (Uitenhage)","description":"Gqeberha SANCCOB is responding to the surge in abandoned penguin chicks, saving lives in a time of crisis.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks","og_description":"Gqeberha SANCCOB is responding to the surge in abandoned penguin chicks, saving lives in a time of crisis.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/","og_site_name":"UD Express (Uitenhage)","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","article_published_time":"2026-04-28T13:49:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-28T14:01:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":1439,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"PE Express","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EP_Media24","twitter_site":"@EP_Media24","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"PE Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/"},"author":{"name":"PE Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/168e2ab8258748d8186b8252ce91d517"},"headline":"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks","datePublished":"2026-04-28T13:49:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-28T14:01:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/"},"wordCount":312,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg","keywords":["African Penguins","Ford","SANCCOB","Top"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/","name":"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks | UD Express (Uitenhage)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-28T13:49:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-28T14:01:07+00:00","description":"Gqeberha SANCCOB is responding to the surge in abandoned penguin chicks, saving lives in a time of crisis.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg","width":1440,"height":1439,"caption":"SANCCOB staff care for rescued African penguin chicks. PHOTO: FACEBOOK\/@SANCCOB saves seabirds"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/gqeberha-sanccob-responds-to-surge-in-abandoned-penguin-chicks\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Gqeberha SANCCOB responds to surge in abandoned penguin chicks"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/","name":"UD Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization","name":"UD Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"UD Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","https:\/\/x.com\/EP_Media24","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@expressonline3000\/videos"],"description":"UD Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Despatch communities since 1971, making it the oldest single-title free sheet in South Africa. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 30,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door across Kariega, Despatch, and surrounding areas every week.","email":"udexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"0+2719925650","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/168e2ab8258748d8186b8252ce91d517","name":"PE Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-pe-express-site-icon-96x96.png","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-pe-express-site-icon-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-pe-express-site-icon-96x96.png","caption":"PE Express"},"description":"This is some test biographical information for PE Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/author\/peexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/670781140_18416770258121445_1960841788645440157_n.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47960,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/ford-gives-penguin-conservation-wings-20211110-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":296352,"position":0},"title":"Ford gives penguin conservation \u2018wings\u2019","author":"UD Express","date":"11 November 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) has contributed R50 000 to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) at Cape Recife Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Gqeberha.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f075108edcfd4a8cb18f80d414368c06.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f075108edcfd4a8cb18f80d414368c06.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f075108edcfd4a8cb18f80d414368c06.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f075108edcfd4a8cb18f80d414368c06.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51614,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/tears-of-joy-for-penguins-freedom-20191009-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":296352,"position":1},"title":"Tears of joy for penguins\u2019 freedom","author":"UD Express","date":"10 October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"TEN rescued African penguins waddled back to freedom to enjoy the surf of the Indian ocean, after spending months of rehabilitation at the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) at Cape Recife.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46223,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/1-million-species-extinct-in-next-decade-20221123\/","url_meta":{"origin":296352,"position":2},"title":"1 Million species extinct in next decade","author":"UD Express","date":"24 November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cSadly, our planet is facing a global extinction crisis, with more than 1 million species predicted to go extinct in the next decade.\u201d.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d83ddc7e2ff3456c95080fb68507d1a2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d83ddc7e2ff3456c95080fb68507d1a2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d83ddc7e2ff3456c95080fb68507d1a2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d83ddc7e2ff3456c95080fb68507d1a2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d83ddc7e2ff3456c95080fb68507d1a2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d83ddc7e2ff3456c95080fb68507d1a2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46250,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/vwsa-employees-volunteer-to-conserve-environment-20221116\/","url_meta":{"origin":296352,"position":3},"title":"VWSA employees volunteer to conserve environment","author":"UD Express","date":"17 November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Rolling up their sleeves to protect the environment, a group of over 160 Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) employees and their loved ones gathered in Gqeberha on Saturday morning, for the company\u2019s Show of Hands volunteer event.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5b71a7d8e5aa4123977e2d14a4b0afe3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5b71a7d8e5aa4123977e2d14a4b0afe3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5b71a7d8e5aa4123977e2d14a4b0afe3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5b71a7d8e5aa4123977e2d14a4b0afe3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5b71a7d8e5aa4123977e2d14a4b0afe3.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5b71a7d8e5aa4123977e2d14a4b0afe3.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48362,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/african-penguins-might-be-extinct-within-15-years-20210818-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":296352,"position":4},"title":"African Penguins might be extinct within 15 years","author":"UD Express","date":"19 August 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"THE endemic African Penguin numbers have declined drastically from approximately 52 000 pairs in 2004 to 13 200 pairs in 2019. If current population trajectories continue, African Penguins could be functionally extinct within 15 years.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54723,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/nmu-crucial-research-on-marion-island-20180404-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":296352,"position":5},"title":"NMU: crucial research on Marion Island","author":"UD Express","date":"5 April 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"NELSON Mandela University\u2019s long-term research on King penguins at Marion Island formed part of an international study which predicts that 70% of the sub-Antarctic seabirds could disappear by 2100, as a result of climate change.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"PE Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/296354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296352"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=296352"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=296352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}