The Great Penguin Rescue: 40,000 Penguins, a Devastating Oil Spill, and the Inspiring Story of the World's Largest Animal Rescue

Now in paperback, “Dyan deNapoli tells the story of the largest wildlife rescue ever mounted....As one of the few people on the planet with expertise in caring for sick penguins, she would have a large part in [the rescue effort].…deNapoli vividly brings to life the environmental catastrophe that can follow an oil spill” ( The New York Review of Books ).

On June 23, 2000 the iron-ore carrier MV Treasure foundered off the coast of South Africa, spilling 1,300 tons of oil and contaminating the habitat of 75,000 penguins. Local conservation officials launched a massive rescue operation, and 12,500 volunteers rushed to South Africa. Penguin expert deNapoli chronicles the landmark animal rescue operation undertaken when 41 percent of the world’s population of African penguins was imperiled by a staggering oil spill.

A rehabilitation supervisor during the initial phase of the three-month operation, deNapoli—better known as “The Penguin Lady”—and fellow volunteers de-oiled, nursed back to health, and released into the wild nearly all of the affected birds. This is the extraordinary story of the world’s largest, most successful live animal rescue to date.

DeNapoli offers a riveting, heartwarming portrait of these captivating birds, a cautionary tale about the environment, and an inspirational chronicle of how following one’s passions can lead to unexpected, rewarding adventures. The Great Penguin Rescue illustrates how people from around the world can unite for a greater purpose.

On June 23, 2000, the iron ore carrier MV Treasure foundered off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, spilling 1,300 tons of oil into the ocean and contaminating the habitat of 75,000 penguins—thus threatening to decimate 41 percent of the worlds population of African penguins. A massive rescue effort was launched, with penguin expert Dyan deNapoli—better known as The Penguin Lady—serving as a rehabilitation supervisor. By the end of a grueling, but ultimately rewarding, three months, she and her fellow volunteers had de-oiled, nursed back to health, and released into the wild nearly all of the affected birds. The Great Penguin Rescue is the extraordinary and heartwarming true story of the worlds largest and most successful wildlife rescue and a moving portrait of these captivating birds.

The extraordinary true story of the world’s largest and most successful live animal rescue.

Dyan deNapoli has worked closely with penguins at Boston’s New England Aquarium and in the wild for fifteen years. She has been featured as a penguin expert on several television and radio programs, was hired as the content reviewer for three books about penguins, and authored the Penguin chapter for the New Book of Knowledge encyclopedia. In addition to acting as a guest lecturer on cruises to the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica, she has been a presenter at national and internati