A rescued penguin is sporting a brand-new beak, thanks to the skill of two dentists and a vet who have given the injured bird a new lease on life at SANCCOB's Rietvlei seabird haven.
"Number 32" (or Beaky to SANCCOB regulars) went into surgery last Friday, emerging from a 1.5 hour operation with a 2,5cm prosthesis glued and wired to the stub.
SANCCOB - the SA National Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds - was set up about 30 years ago to rehabilitate birds caught in oil spills.
SANCCOB chairwoman Estelle van der Merwe says most of the organisation's work still involves caring for oiled birds till they can be released into the wild, but there are exceptions - as in the case of the re-beaked penguin.
The injured bird - an African penguin - was found in Namibia and handed over to SANCCOB by Namibian sea fisheries in August.
"The bird was missing about half of its upper beak, which had broken off just in front of the nostrils. It couldn't preen and was unable to feed," SANCCOB vet Dr Francois Lampen said.
"It's now a matter of waiting about two years for the bird to regrow its beak before we can consider releasing it," Lampen added.
Dr Eben Lourens, one of two SANDF medical services dentists who volunteered their services for this unusual operation, said it was a definite "first", for both himself and his colleague, Dr Charles van Rensburg.
"First we had to make a mould from the beak of a dead bird. Charles then built the prosthesis with acrylic material reinforced with a layer of fine copper mesh used to strengthen dentures," he explained.
The operation has been so successful that SANCCOB volunteer Cheryl Campbell is still nursing a nasty bruise where the penguin nipped her leg after surgery.
The Rietvlei centre is also nursing a sub-Antarctic Rockhopper penguin which is presumed to have been dumped at Cape Town by a trawler.
"We were phoned by the Waterfront to fetch the bird which had been swimming around the harbour. It was most likely picked up by fishermen at the Prince Edward Islands and dumped here," Campbell said.
Cape Nature Conservation has warned that people can be prosecuted for illegal possession of penguins.
- Charl De Villiers
Webmaster's note:
Seabird emergencies can be reported to SANCCOB at +27 21 557 6155/6
