July 5, 2000
Conservationists launched the largest ever airlift of wild birds. More than 18,000 penguins were moved to safety as an oil slick threatened their South African breeding ground during mating season. A third of the entire species of black-footed penguins (found only in Africa and classified as “threatened”) lived on the islands. Thousands of volunteers and zoo experts helped with both the airlift and the cleaning of the birds.
