Bring down the fence around the penguin colony at Stony Point

The African Penguin is an endangered species, and the breeding colony at Stony Point is the only one left which is not in decline. The fence is slowing down the growth of the colony, cutting them off from the majority of available habitat, increasing risk of disease due to increased population density behind the fence and making the penguins on the wrong side of the fence more vulnerable to the dangers that face them. The obvious sollution would be to work with the local residents and declare the whole point a penguin conservancy. But for unknown reasons the nature conservation body in charge refuses to even consider this option. To have all the penguins on their side of the fence would give them full control over the penguins and would mean that any tourist would have to pay them to see a penguin. For 30 years before the fence the penguins lived in relative peace with the humans on Stony Point and the colony grew much faster than it is since they put the fence up. If the fence doesn't come down the African Penguin species is doomed for extinction. There are no scientific reasons or data that proves their decision to fence the penguins in, and more importantly, four years after they put the fence up 100's of penguins still escape to live where they really want to. To stop this, they are now replacing the fence with a high security perimeter fence with a concrete foundation to make it escape proof. This is not only extremely cruel to individual penguins, but is a conservation tragedy in the making. The colony forms an integral part of the Kogelberg UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which amongst other things opposes fences and promotes humans living in nature in a sensitive way for the benefit of both species. Please sign this and help us get the leverage we need to save these wonderful animals from extinction. Johann Botha