News

Stricter regulations on offshore ship-to-ship transfers proposed to protect South Africa’s fragile marine ecosystems.

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2025 is shaping up to be a big year for regulations to give critically endangered African penguins a fighting chance. Earlier this year, the South African government instituted meaningful no-take fishing zones. Now the government is proposing stricter regulations for ship-to-ship fuel transfers, a source of oil and noise that threatens fragile marine ecosystems. Ship-to-ship … Read more

African penguin crashes helicopter?

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As of today, May 16, 2025, 55 websites carried stories with headlines such as: Penguin blamed for helicopter crash in revenge for Trump tariffs…?! How a penguin in a box caused a helicopter to crash in South Africa Helicopter crash in South Africa blamed on ‘unsecured’ penguin Penguin in passenger seat sent helicopter crashing into … Read more

Experts say African penguins worth billions

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What if we reframe conservation as an economic benefit, rather than an obstacle? If the African penguin were to become extinct in the wild, South Africa’s brand reputation as an environmentally healthy destination, famed for its natural assets, would suffer according to a study commissioned by The Endangered Wildlife Trust and the Department of Forestry, … Read more

Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, Laudate Deum, and the Fate of African Penguins: A Moral Call We Can’t Ignore

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We don’t need to be Catholics to grieve the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis. As the first pontiff in history to take a public stance on combating climate change, he was a strong advocate for climate action and a friend to climate activists. Photo by Jeffrey Bruno/Creative Commons Laudato Si’ In Laudato Si’, Pope … Read more

South Africa Takes Bold Action to Save the African Penguin—But Will It Be Enough?

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The South African Constitution requires the government to protect endangered species from extinction. In theory, that’s a forward-thinking attitude. In practice, it is not easy to hold the government accountable. After years of deadlock between conservationists and commercial fisheries, South Africa has finally taken a decisive step to protect its critically endangered African penguins. An … Read more

Our First 990-EZ Form is Filed

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You always remember your first time. I’ve never been so happy to complete a tax form. We just filed our first 990-EZ for KruShan Foundation. We’ve graduated from filing the postcard 990 thanks to generous, caring donors. You’ll find it, our financial reports, and our 2024 annual report here. P.S. I once worked with some … Read more

New rules proposed for ship-to-ship refueling to protect penguins, dolphins

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Dr. Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, has requested public feedback on proposed regulations for the environmental management of offshore oil bunkering. These regulations aim to decrease the risks of bunkering to the marine environment, especially the endangered African Penguin species. Bunkering, which involves supplying fuel for ships, poses risks such … Read more

We Couldn’t Have Done it Without You!

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What a way to start a new year. We’ll admit we got a bit emotional when we hit our fundraising goal, knowing what the funds will do to protect critically endangered African penguins. A generous donor promised to match all donations received in January up to a total of $2,700. We can continue our crucial … Read more

Canvas Rebel Magazine Interview

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Meet Shannon Du Plessis Note: This interview originally appeared here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-shannon-du-plessis/ on January 20, 2025. We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Du Plessis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below. Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory … Read more