Community‑rooted, empathy‑driven action for African penguins on the brink #NotBy2035
shannon.duplessis 
| When Trump and Netanyahu decided to conduct an Iran “excursion” (war), we got a bad feeling for many reasons. Our first thought was that the Strait of Hormuz would likely close. Our second thought was the increased danger to the critically endangered African penguins if shipping routes changed. This was one time we didn’t want … Read more |
| What does it take to protect a species on the edge? For the KruShan Foundation, the answer in 2025 looked like early mornings on a South African coastline, a ranger paddling out to an island colony, 32 abandoned chicks getting a second chance, and a room full of Austin neighbors learning why an endangered seabird … Read more |
| Along the windswept shores of South Africa, a quiet rescue operation is playing out every day, one exhausted, oil-slicked, injured, or starving penguin at a time. Here’s what happens when a bird gets a second chance at life. The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is in crisis Once numbering in the millions, fewer than 10,000 breeding … Read more |
| Let me take you back to 2010. I’m in South Africa for the first time. My husband, Kruger, who grew up there, is introducing me to African penguins. I’m enchanted. Something shifts that I don’t have words for yet. I’m not a conservationist. I am running my technical writing company. Logic and facts are my … Read more |
| It’s been a year since the KruShan X-Ray Room opened at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in Kleinbaai, Gansbaai — a transformative donation from Shannon and Kruger du Plessis of the KruShan Foundation. In just one year, the X-Ray Room has become a hive of activity, providing immediate, on-site diagnostics for African Penguins, seabirds, … Read more |
| Why protecting Africa’s most endangered seabird begins not at the water’s edge, but in classrooms four kilometres inland. Most students at Masakhane Primary and Gansbaai Primary in Gansbaai, South Africa, had never walked down to the sea until recently, despite living four kilometers from the water’s edge. This is not a story about distance. It … Read more |
| Limp Bisket’s journey through the rescue world began in 2021, when he was discovered on Bird Island with devastating seal‑bite injuries to his abdomen and leg. SANCCOB’s Port Elizabeth team pulled him back from the brink, nursing him through infection, pain, and the long, slow work of healing. Against the odds, he recovered—scarred, but strong … Read more |
| Bridges arrived at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in January 2022 after being found at Danger Point with a dislocated left shoulder caused by a seal bite. The injury left him with limited use of his left flipper, but it never diminished his gentle personality. He is one of their calmest residents, often choosing … Read more |
| Today, January 17, 2026, marks a historic turning point for our blue planet as the BBNJ Agreement (the High Seas Treaty) officially enters into force after 20 years of negotiations. For the first time, legally binding rules protect marine biodiversity on the high seas beyond national borders, which is half of our planet. While the … Read more |
| We asked our supporters to complete a short survey. Our complete analysis (including a gap analysis) is very specific and spans several pages. Here’s a snapshot of what our supporters told us. 💛 1. What They Care About Most 📣 2. What They Want More Of 🧭 3. What Makes Giving Fulfilling 🐧 4. Why … Read more |