Penguin exports are big business in East London

LEONARD NEILL PENGUINS have joined motor vehicles, timber and cattle as a prime export through the port of East London. “Their value in financial terms might not be as high as the other items, but they have to be handled with equal care and are attracting more and more interest in the international market,” says Willie Maritz, Buffalo City’s amenities manager. The city’s aquarium recently dispatched 120 birds to zoos and aquariums in the US, Europe and Asia, products of a small breeding community at the East London facility which has become one of the coastal region’s major tourist attractions. Maritz, recognised as among the world’s leading authorities on the jackass penguin, is currently involved in the establishment of an international stud book to prevent in-breeding in captivity. “The birds are all travelling a long way from East London. They cannot fly and it’s an awfully long swim, so thank goodness for airfreight!”