International African Penguin Day is also called Penguin Awareness Day and is celebrated on the second Saturday of October. There are 17 species of penguins in the southern hemisphere, and only one species in Africa.

The range of African penguins is located on the southern sandy coast of the continent, where the birds feel very well. They like to make nests on numerous islands near the mainland.

The number of penguins in Africa is constantly decreasing. According to 2012 statistics, the penguin population on the continent was only 2% of what it was in 1930. Now the species is under threat of extinction.

To help the penguins, you can do the following:

• Support organizations that protect animals.
• Choose only ecologically clean seafood from the green list. Eat as little as possible of sardines, which are the main food for penguins.
• When visiting the zoo, try not to disturb the birds.

Penguin Awareness Day aims to protect the animals’ existence. People need to understand the full scale of the disaster regarding the disappearance of the only penguin species in Africa.