2001 Photo Contest, Nature, 3rd prize
Photographer

Jon Hrusa

for International Fund for Animal Welfare

29 June, 2000

An African penguin soaked in bunker oil, attempts in vain to rid himself of the oil by preening. An oil spill following the sinking of the MV Treasure off Cape Town threatened colonies of African penguins, an endangered species. Over 40 per cent of the African penguin population lives on nearby Robben and Dassen islands. Around 12,000 volunteers from across the world joined in a rescue mission. By the end of the operation, nearly all the affected birds had been returned to the wild.

About the photographer

Jon Hrusa

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