Threats The African Penguin Faces In 2025

Malnourished African penguin chick © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks

One of the most pressing issues is the decline in food availability, primarily driven by competition with commercial purse-seine fishing and the impacts of climate change on prey distribution. The intense fishing pressure in the waters surrounding their breeding colonies has led to a stark depletion of sardine and anchovies, which are essential for the penguins diet.

Warming sea temperatures and changing ocean currents are altering the availability of their preferred prey, forcing young penguins to search for food in increasingly unproductive areas. As a result, juvenile survival rates have plummeted, with reports of adult penguins abandoning their nests in a desperate search for food. While diseases like avian flu have also contributed to their declining numbers, studies highlight that the combined effects of commercial fishing and climate change remain the most critical threats to the African Penguin population. Other threats include pollution, harassment by people, car strikes and attacks by domestic pets.

Domestic pets such as dogs pose a threat to African penguins in mainland colonies © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks

The threat of Avian Flu outbreaks © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks

Stressful interactions with people © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks

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