Coat

On the southern and western coasts of South Africa, tiny white huts have been appearing on beaches. The structures are being built to protect African penguin families from the hot sun—a strategy conservationists say is working.

African penguins spend most of their time in the cool water of the South Atlantic Ocean. But in order to breed and incubate (help to hatch) their eggs, they have to be on land. Unfortunately, the birds’ black coats absorb heat from the scorching African sun. If they return to the water to cool off, they cannot guard their eggs and young chicks from predators.