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African Penguins in Peril

10,000 Birds

On the mainland they face predation from domestic cats, dogs, genets, mongoose and Cape Gulls which steal their chicks and eggs. The only other significant mainland breeding colony is based about an hour out of Cape Town on the east coast at a place called Betty’s Bay. An African Penguin at its rudimentary burrow with its chick.

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Come@Me: Don’t Mourn for Extinct Birds

10,000 Birds

The causes were the usual reasons for island extinction—deforestation by both humans and invasive plants that crowded out native plants, hunting, and invasive rats, mongoose, monkeys, and, of course, feral cats. A foot deep by some accounts, it killed what life was left in the forest. And, then there were the droppings.

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