NVT

🐧Meet Thai — one of the African penguins preparing to return to the wild!🐧

FOUND: Keurbooms
WEIGHT: 2.6kg
DATE: 13/03/2026

As per Keri at Tenikwa, here is Thai's story:
“When Thai was rescued he was taken straight to Robberg vet, where his injuries were assessed. He has been attacked by a seal and was very aggressive and fearful which was to be expected. Although once they found the right spot on his back and chin it became apparent he was quite fond of a massage, so he was called Thai after the ‘thai massage’. His right leg and his left foot had both been injured in the attack, but he was also needed to moult before the vets could operate on him. It was very hot and he was happiest lying on the cold tiles in the hospital at Tenikwa where he could sleep and take the time he needed to get strong again. It wasn’t very long when we came in one morning and noticed he had started to moult, so off to the vet he went to have his leg operated on. The operation went well but it was several weeks before he was healed enough before he could go into the big pool with the others, but once he did, it was just fabulous to see how happy he was to finally be able to swim and clean himself, penguins don’t like to be dirty and even though we clean them twice a day when they are in the hospital, it just isn’t the same as being able to preen and splash around in the water yourself. Which he will be able to do all the time once he is released.”

Thai’s journey is a powerful reminder of the challenges African penguins face in the wild — but also of their incredible resilience and ability to recover with the right care and support.

Join us this Saturday, 20 June as Thai and other rescued African penguins return home.
📍Lookout Beach, Plettenberg Bay
⏰08:30 for 09:00

Donations will be accepted on the day for penguin and wild seabird rescue and rehabilitation.

How to help:
Card facilities will be available on the beach
Cash donations are always welcome

You can also contribute via EFT:
BirdLife Plettenberg Bay
Nedbank | Acc # 1127680897
Reference: PENGUIN

Every contribution helps support penguins like Thai on their journey back to the wild.

Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre South African National Parks Bitou Municipality Birdlife Plettenberg Bay Robberg Veterinary Clinic Plett Hope Spot Plettenberg Bay Tourism

Recently, Rudi Swart (Forest Programme Manager, NVT) described a 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚: https://nl.pensoft.net/article/189942/

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱
Previously unknown to science, he stumbled across this moth while rearing insects from the fruits of different indigenous tree species. Those who have spoken to Rudi know that his main research venture currently entails describing the diversity of insects associated with the fruits and seeds of indigenous southern Cape forest tree species.

This is important for various reasons: fruit flies, for example are often able to jump hosts from exotic species (for example blueberries) to native species, affecting local forest recruitment. When tree species are closely related, the risk of host jumps is higher. For example, species associated with the fruits and seeds of olive trees (𝘖𝘭𝘦𝘢 𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘦𝘢) hypothetically have a chance to jump to ironwood (𝘖𝘭𝘦𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴), an important canopy component in our local forests, based on their shared genus.

𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀!
The new moth species was reared from the fruits of 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 (blinkblaar / glossy leaf). When he first saw it under the microscope, it immediately caught his eye: the hind wing has a radiant blue tinge. Many reared species are new to science, yet this moth is in a family (Gracillariidae) that is the speciality of overseas experts, namely Paolo Triberti and Carlos Lopez-Vaamonde. Rudi contacted these experts, from Italy and France respectively, to help him inspect this moth in more detail.

DNA was extracted from the hind leg of a few specimens, and this was sequenced. The species' genetic makeup is then compared to other species barcoded on an international database, and it turned out to be a species completely new to science. The species description is then done by writing a peer-reviewed scientific article, which includes information on the species' ecology and morphology. Via detailed observations, Rudi saw the moth larvae hollowing out the seeds of 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 - it is currently believed that this species is therefore a seed feeder, at least during its larval stage. Based on this, the species is aptly called 𝘊𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴, with 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢 referring to seed, and 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 referring to feeding.

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱
Throughout this project, we have reared many different species of moth, fly, beetle and wasp from over 40 species of tree. Funding was recently acquired to do more DNA sequencing of these insects, and perhaps many new species will be discovered in the near future.

Photos of this new moth can be seen in the article below. We especially thank 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘅 from Nature's Valley for his beautiful photo of the moth in a resting posture, 𝗔𝗻𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 from 161 St George's who pointed Rudi toward a glossyleaf in her garden, and 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘅 from Keurbooms River who also helped Rudi pinpoint and collect more specimens.

Photo credit: Dr Rudi Swart

🌊💙 Thank you to Sarah and UbuMama Outdoor Education for organising such a fantastic celebration and for including NVT in this special event.

It was inspiring to see so many young people and their families come together to celebrate our ocean heritage through environmental education, art, music, dance and meaningful conversations. The level of engagement, curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the day was incredible, and the wide range of topics explored sparked many important discussions about conservation and our natural world.

We're grateful to have been part of such a positive and impactful day, working alongside so many passionate organisations and community members. Events like these remind us of the power of education and collaboration in inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make it such a memorable Youth Day! 🌿🐧🐬

🐧Meet Penny — one of the African penguins preparing to return to the wild!🐧

As we get closer to this Saturday’s penguin release, we’re continuing to introduce you to the penguins behind this special conservation effort.

Every penguin has a story, and every journey back to the ocean is different. Today, meet PENNY 💙

FOUND: Robberg Peninsula
WEIGHT: 2.5kg
DATE: 24/10/2025

As per Keri at Tenikwa, here is Penny's story:

“Penny was found on Robberg Peninsular with a broken flipper. She was taken straight to the vet and had x-rays and it seemed the broken flipper was an old injury and had already healed. It was just not straight like other penguins flippers. She was also a juvenile in arrested moult. So once she was placed in the pool with the other penguins, we were able to monitor her swimming. She was swimming really well and it seemed she had adapted to using her feet and other flipper to compensate for the flipper that had been broken. It shows us she is a really strong penguin to be able to continue to hunt and survive with a broken flipper until it had healed, albeit not very straight. Whilst the other penguins were all being released Penny had started her moulting process, so she would not be released with the ones we released in November 2025. So Lucky (who had come in just before Penny) would stay behind to get a bit stronger with Penny. It is always very difficult to release some and not the others, but we have to do what is best for the ones ready to be released and also for the ones not ready. We have to look at the long term impact it has on them to be in rehab too long, or released too soon.”

💙 Penny’s story is a reminder of the incredible resilience of these birds, and the careful decisions that go into every rehabilitation journey. It’s not just about getting penguins back to the ocean — it’s about making sure they have the best chance of survival once they get there.

Join us this Saturday, 20 June as Penny and other rescued African penguins take their next step home.

📍 Lookout Beach, Plettenberg Bay
⏰ 08:30 for 09:00

Donations will be accepted on the day for penguin and wild seabird rescue and rehabilitation.

How to help:
💳 Card facilities will be available on the beach
💵 Cash donations are always welcome

You can also contribute via EFT:
BirdLife Plettenberg Bay
Nedbank | Acc # 1127680897
Reference: PENGUIN

Every contribution helps give penguins like Penny a second chance. 🐧💙

Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre South African National Parks Bitou Municipality Birdlife Plettenberg Bay Bay Robberg Veterinary Clinic Plett Hope Spot Plettenberg Bay Tourism

🐧Meet Lucky — one of the African penguins being released this Saturday! 🐧

The countdown is on! Join us this Saturday, 20 June five rehabilitated African penguins return back to the wild.

📍 Where: Lookout Beach, Plettenberg Bay
⏰ Time: 08:30 for 09:00

Over the rest of the week, we’ll be introducing you to the penguins preparing for release — sharing their stories, their journeys, and the challenges they’ve overcome.

First up, meet LUCKY 💙
FOUND: Thesen Island
WEIGHT: 1.4kg
DATE: 11/10/2025

As per Keri at Tenikwa, here is Lucky's story:

“Lucky was called Lucky because as luck would have it he was found by San Parks on the jetty on Thesen Island, and when they brought him to Tenikwa, Robberg Vet nurse Hanlie was visiting us to drop off another penguin that had been with her. So Lucky had all the attention he needed from the moment he arrived. He came in dehydrated and underweight. But it was clear he would not be ready for the release we had coming up, and again he was Lucky that Penny came in shortly after him to be able to keep him company. It was becoming very apparent from this years intakes that a lot of the penguins were not coming in with injuries or illnesses, but they were coming in underweight and weak due to lack of fish. This is something we need to raise awareness about, so that Lucky and other African penguins like him have a chance of survival when they are released.”

💙 Lucky’s story highlights the importance of ongoing rescue, rehabilitation, conservation, and awareness efforts for our endangered African penguins.

We hope to see you there to support this ongoing effort. Donations will be accepted on the day for penguin and wild seabird rescue and rehabilitation.

How to help:
💳 Card facilities will be available on the beach
💵 Cash donations are always welcome

You can also contribute via EFT:
BirdLife Plettenberg Bay
Nedbank | Acc # 1127680897
Reference: PENGUIN

Every bit of support helps give penguins like Lucky a second chance. 🐧💙

Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre South African National Parks Bitou Municipality Birdlife Plettenberg Bay Robberg Veterinary Clinic Plett Hope Spot Plettenberg Bay Tourism

🌟 Congratulations to the first cohort of KuCoNa Create and Connect Centre Ambassadors, who have officially been selected through the National Youth Service Programme. These young leaders will begin their journey on 1 July, gaining valuable skills, mentorship and hands-on experience while supporting activities across the Learning, Community Care and Nature Connect Hubs.

We look forward to seeing them grow, learn and make a positive impact in their communities. Welcome to the KuCoNa family! 💚

🌟 Welcoming the First KuCoNa Ambassadors! 🌟

This week marked an exciting milestone for the KuCoNa Create & Connect Centre as ten young people were selected to join the newly established KuCoNa Ambassador Programme through the National Youth Service (NYS) Programme.

As part of the programme, these young people will serve as Youth Facilitators in Training, receiving practical experience, mentorship and skills development while supporting activities across KuCoNa's three hubs: the Learning Hub, Community Care Hub and Nature Connect Hub.

The KuCoNa Ambassador Programme aims to empower young people with confidence, leadership skills, practical work experience and opportunities for personal growth. Through their involvement in a wide range of activities and programmes at the Centre, they will develop skills in facilitation, teamwork, community engagement and programme delivery.

This week, the successful participants signed their contracts and on 1 July will officially begin their journey as the first cohort of KuCoNa Ambassadors.

We are incredibly excited to welcome them to the KuCoNa family and look forward to supporting them on their journey of growth, learning and service.

Keep an eye on our page over the coming weeks as we introduce each of our KuCoNa Ambassadors and share more about their interests, aspirations and what they hope to achieve through the programme.

A heartfelt thank you to Ripples for Change and the National Youth Service for making the KuCoNa Ambassador Programme possible and for investing in the potential of young people in our community. 💚🌿

Congratulations and welcome to the team! 🎉

🌱✨

Tomorrow - 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 (16 June 2026), young environmental ambassadors will come together to celebrate, learn about, and connect with our ocean heritage 🌊💙

The “𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞” 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, led by UbuMama Outdoor Education in partnership with SANParks, will bring together children, families, conservationists, educators, and creatives for a day filled with environmental education, storytelling, art, theatre, and inspiring conversations around protecting our natural world.

The event aims to support children from surrounding communities in attending and participating in hands-on activities that encourage positive environmental action and stewardship for the future.

We are also proud that two NVT staff members will be presenting on the day alongside a range of passionate conservation speakers and facilitators from across the Garden Route.🌍

Youth Day at the waterfront KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Waterfront and...