Port Elizabeth – The second chick of missing endangered African penguin Buddy has died, the Bayworld Oceanarium in Port Elizabeth confirmed on Friday.
Earlier this month two men snatched Buddy from the research and conservation facility for marine animals, apparently because they wanted him to be in the wild. The pair later owned up to taking the penguin and have since appeared in court where the case was postponed until November.
CCTV footage showed the pair breaking into Bayworld Oceanarium in the middle of the night and taking selfies with ‘Buddy’.
Since Buddy’s disappearance more than a week ago, one of the male penguin’s two chicks died.
Bayworld’s Dylan Bailey on Friday released a statement confirming that the second chick of Buddy and his partner Frances had passed away.
Bailey said the cause of death was yet to be established.
Meanwhile, the search for Buddy continues and members of the public are requested to be on the lookout. He has a tag with the numbers 266 on his flipper.
African News Agency