Thank you ICU!

Over the past few days, I’ve had the opportunity to work in SANCCOB’s intensive care unit. Just as in human medicine, the ICU is where the most critical patients are cared for. Here the patients are closely monitored, many times given medications and fluids on a more regular basis and health indicators are constantly evaluated.



So what qualifies a patient for ICU care at SANCCOB? It differs for each individual. When a bird first comes to the center, they are given a health evaluation. Vital signs, physical condition and blood work are examined over the first few days. Medications may be prescribed and care plans can be set in motion. If a bird is thought to be “out of the woods” then they may join another group of birds outside of ICU. If not, they can remain in ICU until they are better.

Admissions card and health record

Lots of different medications for different treatments

There are currently a number of birds under ICU’s care. The oiled gannet is still here being stabilized before his feathers can be washed. However, he’s progressing well enough to spend some time outside in a prepared space. It’s been good to see him stretch out his wings and become more alert as time goes on.

Oiled gannet looking more alert and with room to stretch

There are also a number of African penguins in ICU, ranging in age from chicks to adults. Many of the chicks are underweight, being abandoned by parents who couldn’t find enough food for themselves. To help them gain weight, they are given formula (those fishy milkshakes I’ve talked about before) as many as three times a day. The formula is given to the chick through a tube that goes down their throat. It takes a lot of training and practice but the experienced staff and volunteers make it look easy: tube goes in, formula gets delivered, and penguin gets a tummy full of goodness.

Is it lunch time yet?

Tubing a penguin to give it formula

Lunch service complete

Other patient issues include mobility and paralysis issues. A Hartlaub’s gull is having problems flying and an African penguin has partial paralysis and is unable to stand normally. To help strengthen his muscles and to get him upright, the staff created a bucket and towel contraption to help with his therapy. The bird also gets physical therapy treatments—a few bicycle kicks and lunges are good for anyone’s health.

Hartlaub's gull resting

Bucket training for strengthening muscles and sitting up straight

As cute as a picture of a penguin in a bucket can be, it‘s a tough job in ICU. The standard of care is excellent and sick birds are able to pull through. Just today they upgraded a number of patients out of ICU to other pens. However, it’s the nature of a rescue hospital that things can turn very quickly and though SANCCOB does everything they can, animals will pass away. It’s always hard when it happens but the dedicated SANCCOB crew knows there is work to be done. Life goes on…and with it hopes that other ICU patients will make it through.

There has been a lot happening at SANCCOB lately. Penguins have been released, new penguins have been brought in for treatment, the daily hustle and bustle to keep things running for the many African penguins and chicks on site.



But the SANCCOB crew took time out on Friday to celebrate their new building!

New Building!!!

New Chick Rearing Unit

The new Chick Rearing Unit had its grand opening Friday afternoon. Having been thought about for years and built over the past several months, this new building will continue to help SANCCOB in its chick bolstering efforts. With dedicated volunteers working around the clock for the past several years, SANCCOB has managed to raise (and release) close to 2000 African penguin chicks. And what’s even better is that research has shown that these chicks do better at surviving once released than their non-SANCCOB counterparts. So this new chick rearing unit is a big deal!

Ready to cut the red ribbon

With the new building, SANCCOB will be about to ramp up their bolstering efforts and have more chicks come through their doors. With a new incubation room, young chicks (and even eggs) can be incubated, new warming beds ensure older birds will be comfortable and scales will make sure that the chicks are putting on weight (like our chicks do back at the Aquarium!) as they should.

Incubation room

Warming beds

With its own set of supplies, washing machines and food prepping areas, this new building is separate entity, important for making sure that no cross-contamination happens between different groups of birds. However, it could not be more central to SANCCOB’s mission of helping abandoned seabirds and their African penguin chick bolstering program. There are a few more finishing touches that have to happen before the building is fully operational, but I know that the staff is very excited to start this new chapter. So congratulations to SANCCOB and here’s to a future of many successfully raised chicks!

Prep area

Nice accommodations-five stars!

Learn more about the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, or SANCCOB and their Chick Bolstering Project.

Follow the adventures of Jo's co-worker, Paul! Aquarium penguin biologist Paul Leonard is also in South Africa to study and care for African penguins in the Southern Hemisphere! Read about his experience on the Penguin Blog.

As many people I know are sitting down and giving thanks on this Thanksgiving, I found myself sitting in the back of a pickup truck with five boxes traveling down the highway. I was hanging out with a bunch of birds, only they weren’t turkeys.

Anyone bring the directions?

Precious cargo aboard!

Today I had the opportunity to help release some African penguins that had spent time at SANCCOB. Many of the nine penguins released were birds that had been abandoned by hungry parents and were fortunately brought to the center. The staff and volunteers (including me!) have been nursing them back to health and today they would make their grand return to the sea.

Before they could go, each bird had their numbered tag removed, was weighed and measured then painted with a bright pink dot. This paint, which will only stay on for a couple of months, identifies this bird as one that has been rescued and released.

Pink bellies for easy ID

Once everyone was packed up and ready to go, we headed south to Simon’s Town, famous for its Boulder’s Beach. There is a rare mainland breeding colony here and where four of our birds, coincidentally, were rescued. So it was fitting that on a bright sunny day we would be bringing them home.

Our destination

We arrived at the beach, got the boxes set on the sand, managed to keep the excited on-lookers at bay and then released the birds. Some of them were a bit resistant to leaving the boxes but after a bit of a shake, the penguins were out of the boxes and headed to the sea. Fortunately for the younger birds, there was an adult with them and after the younger birds watched the adult make a beeline for the water, they quickly followed. The group swam off together around the bend and after climbing to the top of the cliff, we could see the ground headed towards the open part of the bay.

Out of the boxes

Ready to hit the water

It’s hard to know what the fate of these penguins will be. I hope that they do well, settle in Boulders and grow to have chicks of their own. I know it’s an uphill battle but thankfully SANCCOB is there to help these animals when they need it. I’m also thankful that I got to be a part of that experience today. After feeding and taking care of these birds for the past week and half, it’s fantastic to see them swim in the open. I know that SANCCOB has many more chicks to bolster and more birds to rehabilitate. But at least nine penguins are back where they belong thanks to SANCCOB. And for that, I am thankful.

Home at last

Learn more about the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, or SANCCOB and their Chick Bolstering Project. 

Follow the adventures of Jo's co-worker, Paul! Aquarium penguin biologist Paul Leonard is also in South Africa to study and care for African penguins in the Southern Hemisphere! Read about his experience on the Penguin Blog.

My last post revolved around the non-penguin birds that were housed at SANCCOB. As I mentioned before, SANCCOB does more than help penguins. They are committed to rehabilitating all seabirds that can be found in South Africa and have seen a diverse number of species in 2011. Well, who knew that I would be getting up close to some of those birds today!

Hartlaub's gulls. The one on the right is being rehabilitated.

I spent my second Monday working in Pen 1 and the Aviary. Unlike penguins, there are lots of seabirds that can fly! These birds receive special accommodations that allow them to stretch their wings but not fly away until they are ready. My volunteer mentor Hannah and I had the pleasure of taking care of a couple of Hartlaub’s gulls and three Kelp gulls. Both species can be found in the Cape Town area and have been rehabilitated by SANCCOB before.

Pen 1. You can see a bird in the bottom left corner.

The Hartlaub’s gulls, which reside in Pen 1, were pretty small but quick, which proved to be challenging when we had to catch one to give it medication throughout the day. Though they were skittish when we were in the pen with them, they were more than happy to settle down and eat a whole dish of chopped fish.

Chopped fish. Pretty self-explanatory

In the larger aviary, 3 Kelp gulls were recovering. The area was a little bit more spacious than Pen 1, letting this larger species have a bit more room. In addition to a swimming pool, the aviary has a partition about 4 feet off the ground. The staff can start to assess if the bird is feeling better by whether or not the birds can fly off the ground up to the partition. If they can do that, they are close to release! I’m pleased to report the two larger Kelp gulls were happy to fly out of our way while cleaning. Could release be around the corner? Time will tell.

Kelp gulls. Can you tell which one is a juvenile? A hint...it's the one on the left...

Due to their larger size, the food of choice for the Kelp Gulls is a bit greater in scale. A menu item that is quite popular throughout SANCCOB is known as “fish tails”. The heads of the fish are removed (they are hard to eat and digest for some recovering birds), the remaining tails are sprinkled with vitamin powder and a saline solution and arranged delicately on a platter. Quite the spread!

Before...

...and after. Lunch time!

So yet another day of learning for me at SANCCOB. It was great to work with a couple of different species and to see how SANCCOB spreads its wings to help seabirds in addition to penguins. Who knows what the future will hold for these birds but for now they are in great hands!

It is Saturday afternoon here in South Africa. It’s hard to believe that I have been here for one week already: time is flying by…guess I must be having fun! SANCCOB has been an amazing experience so far. I can’t believe how much I am learning about penguin husbandry, the ups and downs of a rescue center and penguin stuff in general. It doesn’t hurt that I’m traveling with one of the Aquarium’s penguin experts either!

Speaking of the Aquarium’s penguin expert, Paul had to work today. Usually volunteers are given a weekend day off but because Paul is here at SANCCOB for such a short time, he is pulling double duty. Looks like they put him to work!

Paul hard at work

I on the other hand do have the day off. It was hot earlier this morning but has cooled down thanks to the ever present summer breezes. Between the temperate climate and the location, lots of different bird life to make its way to South Africa's southern coast. And while many associate SANCCOB with rescuing African penguins, they are committed to helping all sea birds and have many different species at the center (the COB stands for “Coastal Birds”).

As each bird comes to SANCCOB, the staff identifies the species and then gives it a unique code to track it while it’s at the center. Usually it is a simple abbreviation of its name and a number. This way they can also track the number of times that type of bird has come through SANCCOB in one given year. So far, they are up to 408 African penguins and lots and lots of other species!

List of birds that have come through SANCCOB

As with the African penguins, the goal is to release these animals back into the wild. Just Tuesday, SANCCOB released a giant petrel back to the ocean. It was quite the accomplishment-most giant petrels do not survive even a few days in rescue centers. But SANCCOB kept the bird for a month, rehabilitated it and then released it. Amazing! But when one patient leaves, another one comes in. In the past couple of days, a gannet came in badly oiled and only time will tell what will happen. But fortunately he is in good hands at SANCCOB.

Oiled gannet resting-look in the middle of the back and you can see a blue eye

What the gannet should look like...

In addition to the gannet, there are several gulls, terns and cormorants  here. There is even a rockhopper penguin that washed up on the beach of South Africa, a far way from home (more on Rocky in the future). Many are part of the permanent collection at SANCCOB due to their various lingering ailments or wayward travels. Some others will hopefully will be released soon. So it’s never a dull moment at SANCCOB—you never know what type of animal may walk through the door!

Gull resting poolside

Resting in the heat!

Cormorant checking out the sights

So it’s not entirely all about the African penguins here at SANCCOB. The staff and volunteers do a great job at taking care of all sorts of sea birds. Thank goodness!

SANCCOB...Rocky approved!

Another day at SANCCOB, another area of focus. Paul and I crossed paths for the first time today and were both scheduled to work with the younger penguin chicks. These are the birds that are well enough to leave the intensive care unit but aren’t ready to hang with the big boys yet. Some of them are quite small, weighing less that 4 pounds each! (For an idea about what it takes to weigh a chick, check out this post about our own penguin chicks at the Aquarium!)

Our charges for the day

Within this pen there are a couple of different age chicks, determined by where they are in the molting process. Molting (or losing their feathers and growing in new ones) is important to every penguin. For the chicks, however, it means a new stage in life. Chicks have a layer of downy feathers that they need to outgrow before they hit the water full time. Once the birds molt from their downy feathers into their waterproof ones, they can then head to sea for the first time. At SANCCOB, they refer to these birds as “blues”, as their new waterproof feathers have a dark navy hue to them.

Chick with downy feathers

"Blue"

In addition to feeding and cleaning their pens, Paul and I worked with another volunteer to make sure all of the chicks and blues got their medication. Many of them are on additional meds to make sure they make a recovery. A couple even get nebulizer treatments, where the medication is made into a fine mist so the chicks can breathe it in. So it was a pretty intense day of making sure all the birds got the treatments they needed. In total, there was 2 feeding times, 2 formula times, 2 swim times, 3 medication and additional fluid times and 3 nebulizer treatments for those that needed it. Add  to it this updating charts, making sure proper liquids were given, cleaning and making things were set for tomorrow and you have one very full day!

I see you...

As if things weren’t hectic enough, 21 new chicks from a breeding area near Betty’s Bay came in to SANCCOB mid-afternoon. The new arrivals, as well as our charges for today, are part of the Chick Bolstering Project that both Paul and I are so excited to work with. The project works to make sure that abandoned chicks are collected from breeding areas, brought to SANCCOB to be raised until the penguins can be on their own and then released. It hit me today watching the new arrivals be processed that I am a part of that project. I’m doing something that can help this endangered species, a species that needs all the help they can get. Fortunately, SANCCOB is there to help. And now I am too…needless to say that left me with a smile for today. And how could you not love that face!

New chick arrival at SANCCOB today!

Brian Skerry spoke about his book Ocean Soul at the New England Aquarium on Thursday, November 17. That lecture was live webcast here. Here is a video of that lecture.


Thank you for joining us for this special event. Brian Skerry's new book Ocean Soul is available for purchase from National Geographic. See more of Brian's work by visiting his website, reading his expedition posts on this blog and by checking out these posts from the Aquarium's Phoenix Islands Blog.

Founded in 1969, the New England Aquarium is a global leader in ocean exploration and marine conservation. The Aquarium is one of the premier visitor attractions in Boston, with over 1.3 million visitors a year, and a major public education resource. If you would like to support the Aquarium's ocean conservation mission, please consider making a donation or joining a Giving Society.

The Aquarium Lecture Series is presented free to the public through the generosity of the Lowell Institute, which has been providing funding for free public lectures at universities and museums since 1836. Visit this page for a list of upcoming lectures.

A new day at SANCCOB and another new task awaited Paul and I as we walked through the doors. He headed off to work with the more critical patients while I headed to a familiar spot to Paul: Pen 2!

Cute face but sharp beak!

The penguins that come to SANCCOB are organized into different holding pens depending on their age and condition: the younger chicks are in one area, those that need constant medical care are in another. Holding pen location number 2 (or Pen 2 for short) holds those birds that are out of the woods for the most part, swimming (even if it is for a short time) and are on their way to recovery. But that doesn’t mean it’s easier to take of them. Lots of work is still involved!

My home for the day

As Paul mentioned in an earlier post, each penguin (and there were 21 penguins in this pen today) has a daily regiment of fish, formula, medications, swim times and other items that all work together to form the recovery plan for each individual bird. As you can imagine, with 21 birds it’s A LOT of things to remember! That includes 3 swim times, 2 feeding times, formula time, 3 medication times and more! Thank goodness there is a data sheet for each today (like we have at the Aquarium), allowing the staff and volunteers to track what has been done already. However, to read it you need to learn a foreign language—every item has an abbreviation or color associated with it. It took a while to learn how to read the data sheet, but I think I got it down today!

Data chart for Pen 2

A major part of this daily regiment is catching each individual bird and delivering them to the staff person or volunteer who is administering the different treatments and feedings. As it was my first day handling birds, it was a crash course in how to pick up a squirming five pounds of muscle with a VERY sharp beak and hand it off safely to another person (or into the swimming pool). At this point, I would like to remind all of you that while penguins are cute, they are NOT cuddly animals. They will not hesitate to bite you, and boy did I get bitten today and have the bruises to prove it. As with anything, handling the birds got easier with practice but it is not a job for the faint of heart! In addition to learning how to handle the birds properly, it was a day filled with cleaning guano filled mats.

Guano (poop) filled mats to be cleaned

We were also busy making syringes of fishy milkshakes (known as “formula”) and setting the birds into the pool for their mandatory swim times. The swims are important not only to condition the penguin’s feathers but it gives the staff an idea of how the penguin is recovering. Feathers help keep penguins warm and dry and are vital to their survival in the wild. So the SANCCOB staff does a lot of work to see if the feathers are working properly. If the penguin swims for a bit and they still get water under their feathers, it means they aren’t ready to be released yet. If the feathers and down is dry after a good long swim, it means the day of release is a little bit closer! (Even our penguin chicks at the Aquarium get some practice swims!)

Formula = fishy milkshakes

Swim time!

Overall, today was a good day. I got to hang out with some very cool (but not cuddly) animals knowing that many of them won’t be at SANCCOB someday and will be headed back out to the ocean. I learned an incredible amount-how to handle birds, set up the pens, interpret the data sheets, which birds go for longer swims, how to apply topical medications and a huge amount more. I even got pooped on a bunch, a pretty common occurrence while handling penguins. So it was a good day working with good people doing good work to help a pretty cool group of animals. Not bad…minus the bruises!

Thanks for the day, fellas!