First record of Cape clawless otter preying on African penguins: Study

The critically endangered African penguin has several predators to fear, including gulls, seals and sharks at sea, and leopards, caracals, domestic dogs and mongoose on land. A recent study has now documented the first confirmed case of yet another predator: a Cape clawless otter was observed preying on the African penguins of a mainland colony. African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) historically bred on islands around South Africa and Namibia, where they were safe from larger mainland mammalian predators like leopards and caracals. However, as growing human settlements kept large predators at bay, the penguins began establishing mainland colonies. One such mainland colony is in Simon’s Town, along South Africa’s southwest coast. Between 2020 and 2023, the penguin population there has decl