This musing is about a South African Penguin chick named ....OPUS....
Several days ago, I saw a posting by SANCCOB..The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds ..an organization that rescues penguins and seabirds....they were asking for people to "foster" an orphaned penguin chick and they call it their Christmas Chick program...They put a photo of one of these chicks and the very sad story about them.....I knew I had to do that....
It seems that, once a year, around October, the adult penguins go into moult and they can not get food to feed any chicks that have not reached maturity by the time of this moult and are abandoned...these chicks eventually die from hunger or injuries from trying to get food from other adults.....SANCOBB comes and rounds up these chicks....takes them to a shelter location and attempts to save every one they can with medication, warmth, fish, and warm loving hands and hearts.....then, when the penguin chick is healthy and mature enough to make it on his own...he is released to make a natural life...the process can take from 6 weeks to 3 months depending on a number of factors ..the biggest being health....
When I applied for the fostering process , the very first thing I was asked to do was name him :-)...I researched penguin names and there it was....OPUS...opus is used in music titles as a way to categorize music but, OPUS is also a famous penguin in a cartoon I used to read.....Bloom County...There is a photo of this OPUS at the end of the musing....I KNEW with the music connection and the famous cartoon connection..OPUS would be his name :-)..
A few days after applying on their site, I received a digital package of info about my OPUS....there was a letter which I am including, the information part of , at the end of this musing , a certificate, a sticker photo of an adult penguin...and a photo of little OPUS....OPUS is A520 to the rescuers and his number is banded on his flipper....so this is really him..not a stand in...I really liked that they do that.....
This letter is so well written ..it is informative and emotional at the same time...Opus was not injured , but, in a weakened condition when they found him on October 10,.....I am glad as the picture in my mind is good one since there will be no further info forthcoming about OPUS..in thinking about the time frames...in a few weeks or so, Opus will be released to go forth and live his life in his natural world....
When I read the part of them being huddled on the beach ,scared and hungry and then the warm loving hands and fish smoothies....I heard music in my head and I had to write it down....I wrote a little cello song about OPUS called....OPUS.....NUMBER ONE...it is done but I just finished it last nite (12/1) and have to record it on my cello...so a week or less and I will post it on my site and update this musing:-)
The evironmental issues are not good as you can see from the letter.....although, not mentioned , this organization deals with oil spill birds of all kinds...this is another future threat to Opus...the letter lists the things we can do...we really need to support the environmentalists who are working on their behalf by donating ..if we can ..and following the other suggestions they give..also, by being politically aware of the laws affecting the environment and wildlife that are being changed or need to be changed in our respective countries....
I plan on continuing my involvement with SANCCOB with support thruout the year and next November there will be another "Christmas" chick to capture my heart:-)...I couldn't give myself a better Christmas present :-)
UPDATE : The music I composed for Opus is published ...click
HERE.. and another window will open to it :-)
Please refer to text musing for the photos and the site address of SANCCOB..
This is SANCCOB's site address should you wish to know more about them ....click and another window will open with their site..
http://www.sanccob.co.za/
Several days ago, I saw a posting by SANCCOB..The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds ..an organization that rescues penguins and seabirds....they were asking for people to "foster" an orphaned penguin chick and they call it their Christmas Chick program...They put a photo of one of these chicks and the very sad story about them.....I knew I had to do that....
It seems that, once a year, around October, the adult penguins go into moult and they can not get food to feed any chicks that have not reached maturity by the time of this moult and are abandoned...these chicks eventually die from hunger or injuries from trying to get food from other adults.....SANCOBB comes and rounds up these chicks....takes them to a shelter location and attempts to save every one they can with medication, warmth, fish, and warm loving hands and hearts.....then, when the penguin chick is healthy and mature enough to make it on his own...he is released to make a natural life...the process can take from 6 weeks to 3 months depending on a number of factors ..the biggest being health....
When I applied for the fostering process , the very first thing I was asked to do was name him :-)...I researched penguin names and there it was....OPUS...opus is used in music titles as a way to categorize music but, OPUS is also a famous penguin in a cartoon I used to read.....Bloom County...There is a photo of this OPUS at the end of the musing....I KNEW with the music connection and the famous cartoon connection..OPUS would be his name :-)..
A few days after applying on their site, I received a digital package of info about my OPUS....there was a letter which I am including, the information part of , at the end of this musing , a certificate, a sticker photo of an adult penguin...and a photo of little OPUS....OPUS is A520 to the rescuers and his number is banded on his flipper....so this is really him..not a stand in...I really liked that they do that.....
This letter is so well written ..it is informative and emotional at the same time...Opus was not injured , but, in a weakened condition when they found him on October 10,.....I am glad as the picture in my mind is good one since there will be no further info forthcoming about OPUS..in thinking about the time frames...in a few weeks or so, Opus will be released to go forth and live his life in his natural world....
When I read the part of them being huddled on the beach ,scared and hungry and then the warm loving hands and fish smoothies....I heard music in my head and I had to write it down....I wrote a little cello song about OPUS called....OPUS.....NUMBER ONE...it is done but I just finished it last nite (12/1) and have to record it on my cello...so a week or less and I will post it on my site and update this musing:-)
The evironmental issues are not good as you can see from the letter.....although, not mentioned , this organization deals with oil spill birds of all kinds...this is another future threat to Opus...the letter lists the things we can do...we really need to support the environmentalists who are working on their behalf by donating ..if we can ..and following the other suggestions they give..also, by being politically aware of the laws affecting the environment and wildlife that are being changed or need to be changed in our respective countries....
I plan on continuing my involvement with SANCCOB with support thruout the year and next November there will be another "Christmas" chick to capture my heart:-)...I couldn't give myself a better Christmas present :-)
UPDATE : The music I composed for Opus is published ...click
HERE.. and another window will open to it :-)
Please refer to text musing for the photos and the site address of SANCCOB..
This is SANCCOB's site address should you wish to know more about them ....click and another window will open with their site..
http://www.sanccob.co.za/
This is the major portion of the letter that was digitally sent....it was beautifully written....
This is the OPUS in the Bloom County cartoon that I referenced :-) note the dandelions...he used to like to sit in a field of dandelions....well, who wouldn't :-)
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