A Cape fur seal would normally make a meal of a young African penguin, but Milkshake the baby seal has no problem with his two-legged pal Strawberry walking all over him.
The unlikely duo have been sharing quarters at the East London Aquarium ever since they washed up on Eastern Cape beaches within a day of each other .
BCM’s chief of marine services at the aquarium Siani Tinley said Milkshake is about two- or three-months old and washed up at Winterstrand on September 25. “He was very sick and thin but is starting to recover and is on his second week of antibiotics. He is best friends with Strawberry the penguin who washed up on September 26 at Kei Mouth.”
Tinley said the 11-month-old penguin shared a rehabilitation room “behind the scenes” of the aquarium with the little seal.
“They were separated with partitions at first, but staff noticed that at feeding times they had no problem with each other so the partitions were removed and they have made great friends.”
Tinley said the rescued marine creatures have access to an outdoor area where they like to soak up the sun. “Sometimes Strawberry just walks over Milkshake to get where he wants to go. I once saw the penguin walk over her head. But she is very patient.”
Tinley said once the little penguin had regained its strength it would be released via Sanccob in Port Elizabeth.
“Seals are different because they imprint on human beings very fast and so the reality is that releasing her is very slim. We will look at incorporating her with the other seals or find a home for her.”
To celebrate national marine week this week, the Esplanade aquarium is having a public open day on Saturday and entry will be free between 9am and 4pm. At 2pm there will be a special penguin presentation where members of the public can get close to these endangered seabirds.
There will also be a display highlighting the beauty of the marine environment taken by East London Photographic Society members at the open day. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Strawberry and Milkshake are a sweet mix
The unlikely duo have been sharing quarters at the East London Aquarium ever since they washed up on Eastern Cape beaches within a day of each other .
BCM’s chief of marine services at the aquarium Siani Tinley said Milkshake is about two- or three-months old and washed up at Winterstrand on September 25. “He was very sick and thin but is starting to recover and is on his second week of antibiotics. He is best friends with Strawberry the penguin who washed up on September 26 at Kei Mouth.”
Tinley said the 11-month-old penguin shared a rehabilitation room “behind the scenes” of the aquarium with the little seal.
“They were separated with partitions at first, but staff noticed that at feeding times they had no problem with each other so the partitions were removed and they have made great friends.”
Tinley said the rescued marine creatures have access to an outdoor area where they like to soak up the sun. “Sometimes Strawberry just walks over Milkshake to get where he wants to go. I once saw the penguin walk over her head. But she is very patient.”
Tinley said once the little penguin had regained its strength it would be released via Sanccob in Port Elizabeth.
“Seals are different because they imprint on human beings very fast and so the reality is that releasing her is very slim. We will look at incorporating her with the other seals or find a home for her.”
To celebrate national marine week this week, the Esplanade aquarium is having a public open day on Saturday and entry will be free between 9am and 4pm. At 2pm there will be a special penguin presentation where members of the public can get close to these endangered seabirds.
There will also be a display highlighting the beauty of the marine environment taken by East London Photographic Society members at the open day. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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