Image copyright EPA Image caption African penguin Buddy was taken to prove a point about animals in captivity - but his rescuers may have unwittingly signed his death warrant (stock image) 
 
 A desperate search is under way for an endangered African penguin "freed" by activists who may have unwittingly sent the bird to his death. 
 
 Buddy was stolen from a South African marine park by two students who claim it was a demonstration against animals being kept in captivity. 
 
 But Buddy was born in the park, and has no idea how to survive in the wild. 
 
 Experts say the penguin could last for just two more weeks before he will starve to death. 
 
 Dylan Bailey, manager of Bayworld in Port Elizabeth, said: "He is completely ill-equipped to survive in the wild. He will have no idea where he is. 
 
 "Luckily, he was a very healthy penguin - actually quite fat - so he has a good few weeks of reserves." 
 
 However, the park estimates that still means he has just three weeks from the moment he was stolen. 
 
 'Optimistic' 
 
 Buddy's disappearance was discovered the day after he was taken - when he could not be found for his monthly check up. 
 
 CCTV revealed two students - who have not been named, but are in their early 20s - climbing into the pool, and then bundling Buddy into the boot of a car before driving him a short distance to the sea, where they released him. 
 
 The two students had no intention of harming the bird, but their actions may have far reaching consequences, Mr Bailey told the AFP news agency. 
 
 Buddy was part of a breeding pair, and was looking after his two new chicks with mate Francis when he was stolen. 
 
 Since his disappearance, one of the chicks has died, although park officials do not know if this was related. Francis is also now unable to leave the nest, as Buddy is not there to take over from her. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption African penguins mate for life 
 
 Worse, African penguins are about to be added to the critically endangered list, with fewer than 20,000 breeding pairs in the wild. A successful match like Buddy and Francis is important for the species' very survival. Should Buddy not be found, pairing Francis with another mate could be close to impossible. 
 
 Mr Bailey explained: "They are monogamous animals. They pair for life. If we can't get Buddy back, we will try to pair her with another bird, but it may not be successful." 
 
 Staff have been scouring hundreds of kilometres of coastline, in the hope that one of them might spot Buddy. 
 
 "We are optimistic," Mr Bailey said. "We have hope he will come ashore before he becomes too weak." ||||| Cape Town – Two men snatched Buddy the Penguin from a Port Elizabeth oceanarium last week because they wanted him to be in the wild, Bayworld said on Tuesday. 
 
 
 
 His carers were hoping someone would spot the vulnerable penguin in the ocean, so he could be reintroduced to his mate Francis and their remaining chick. 
 
 
 
 Buddy’s absence was first noticed when staff could not find him for his monthly medical examination last Thursday. 
 
 
 
 The bird’s much-publicised absence led to the men’s lawyer contacting Bayworld to say they wished to take responsibility. The lawyer and the men met Bayworld’s management and curators. 
 
 
 
 “The individuals stated that they did not agree with the penguins being kept in captivity and that their intention was to capture and then release a penguin back into the wild,” Bayworld said in a statement. 
 
 
 
 Best interests of the animal 
 
 After realising the severity of the incident, they admitted they had released the male penguin on Pollock beach, 2.8km from Bayworld, early on Wednesday morning. 
 
 
 
 Security footage showed a vehicle parking next to the oceanarium wall in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Two men were seen walking on the grounds and taking pictures with a cellphone camera before entering the penguin enclosure. 
 
 
 
 “At the time they believed they were acting in the best interests of the animals and there was never any intention to harm the bird in any way,” said Bayworld. 
 
 
 
 They would hold another meeting soon to decide on an appropriate sanction. Bayworld did not release the men’s identities. 
 
 
 
 News24 was waiting to hear whether their lawyer wished to speak to the media. 
 
 
 
 Eastern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Priscilla Naidu said they had no knowledge of anybody handing themselves over the police. Bayworld had opened a case of theft. 
 
 
 
 “It seems like the two people in the video have contacted Bayworld and are dealing directly with them. We don’t have any suspects in custody,” she said. 
 
 
 
 Bayworld would have to indicate if it wanted to withdraw its complaint, she said. 
 
 
 
 Francis and the chicks on the nest. (Werner Hills, Netwerk24) 
 
 No survival experience
– Two South African students may have gotten in over their heads when they "liberated" a penguin from a South African marine park, the BBC reports. Surveillance video showed two still-unidentified students breaking into the enclosure at Bayworld marine park, grabbing the penguin, and driving it to the nearby shoreline, where they released it. The problem is that Buddy the penguin was raised in captivity and is "completely ill-equipped to survive in the wild," says the park manager. Staffers are searching up and down the South African coast, hoping Buddy will come back to land before he runs out of fat reserves in two or three weeks. “The individuals stated that they did not agree with the penguins being kept in captivity and that their intention was to capture and then release a penguin back into the wild," says a Bayworld statement, per news24.com. The park has reported the theft to police and says the men's lawyer has been in contact. The African penguin is an endangered species, with less than 20,000 breeding pairs in the wild. The loss of Buddy is especially bad for the park, as he was successfully paired with a mate. Penguins mate for life, and park officials worry Buddy's mate, Francis, may not accept a new partner if Buddy does not return. What's more, one of their two recently hatched chicks has died since his disappearance. (There may be good news about these 150,000 missing penguins.)