Press Release
Survivors: South Africa's Penguin Rescue
Opens at The Wildlife Experience February 1, 2003
DENVER- January 15, 2003 - On June 23, 2000, a 1,200-ton oil spill hit Cape Town's Table Bay in South Africa, devastating several colonies of African Penguins and igniting a massive, international rescue operation. Boulder-based wildlife photographer and filmmaker Brian Slobe was there to document this tragedy. The Wildlife Experience will now exhibit many of the pieces he caught on film beginning February 1, 2003 in the museum's Community Gallery.
The oil spill prompted an incredible outpouring of support from individuals and organizations. Within one week of the spill, local and international conservation groups had organized a massive rescue operation - one that would become the largest and most successful seabird rescue efforts in history. Of the nearly 40,000 adult penguins evacuated or rehabilitated, 90 percent survived. Slobe's exhibit, "Survivors: South Africa's Penguin Rescue," captures the devastating toll oil takes on penguins and the incredible human effort to save the birds.
"My images show people the wonders of African Penguins and the magnitude of the crisis they faced, and will hopefully encourage people to contribute to their survival," Slobe said. "The success of the penguins' rescue proved that people can make a difference."
Since returning to the United States in January 2001, Slobe has continued to raise awareness and funds for the birds through public presentations and the sale of original penguin prints.
Slobe has more than 10 years of experience as a wildlife filmmaker and photographer. His assignments have taken him to Africa, Australia and Europe, working for production companies such as the Discovery Channel, BBC, and Animal Planet. Slobe's still photography has been featured in numerous print publications and are on permanent display at the Cape of Good Hope and Boulder's Beach - two national parks in South Africa.
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