The SA Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre in Port Elizabeth has been called on to assist a zoo in flood-ravaged Georgia in Eastern Europe.
This, to help them rehabilitate several African penguins who became oiled during the recent floods which saw many animals being washed away or marooned on land.
Samrec's Libby Sharwood says the penguins, known there as Jackass penguins, were washed away in oily water which came from wrecked cars in the streets.
She says they were quite excited to receive the call from Georgia on Monday morning.
"It is a new experience for people in a zoo to try and rehabilitate a penguin. We were really surprised when we got a call from Eastern Europe to ask us how to wash a penguin. We had two calls from them and advised them on how to feed them some charcoal tablets to absorb most of the oil and how to wash them"
Sharwood told Algoa FM News that an ex Port Elizabeth resident now living in Georgia had made contact with them.
"I am not sure if she is just volunteering or if she is actually associated to the zoo, all we do know is that they are devastated. The army was called in to help and all they did was shoot all the animals" she said
