Rescued Cape Gannet's release highlights growing threats to seabirds

The rescued Cape Gannet who has been released back into the wild.

SEABIRDS are suffering.

Almost six weeks after a Cape Gannet was found stranded on a beach in KZN and taken to the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) for treatment, it was released on Monday with the help of the NSRI.

CROW’s Denika Govender said the bird was found on a beach in April by a member of the public and taken to the Ballito Veterinary Hospital, which then contacted the centre.

“Upon admission, it weighed only 1.5 kg, which is significantly underweight for an adult Cape Gannet, as the normal weight range is between 2.6 kg and 3 kg. During the initial examination, our veterinary team identified muscle damage to the left wing, which caused the wing to appear loose. The bird was also showing signs of malnutrition due to its low body weight,” she said.