Xinhua An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly called bird flu, is threatening the survival of the critically endangered African penguins living off the coast of South Africa, local media reported.
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) said 23 African penguins had tested positive for the disease since September 2025, with at least nine confirmed deaths among wild populations, media reports said Tuesday.
“For a population under immense pressure, the loss of even a few individuals is significant,” the organization told an event marking Penguin Awareness Day on Jan. 20.
“A large-scale outbreak within a breeding colony would be devastating for the rapidly declining African penguin population,” SANCCOB said.
It urged the public not to touch sick or dead penguins and to report sightings immediately to the organization or other relevant authorities.