Penguin
chick from endangered species born at Aquarium
On
Monday, February 3, Mystic Aquarium’s African penguin colony grew by one with
the hatching of a penguin chick.
Weighing in at 94 grams at hatching, the chick is developing nicely under the watchful eye of its parents Green/Pink and Blue/Red (and Mystic Aquarium’s animal care professionals, too!).
Weighing in at 94 grams at hatching, the chick is developing nicely under the watchful eye of its parents Green/Pink and Blue/Red (and Mystic Aquarium’s animal care professionals, too!).
After
almost three weeks, the chick now weighs in at 820 grams (or 1.8 lbs.).
The
gender of the chick is unknown at present as there are no external
characteristics to distinguish between males and females. A DNA test will
be conducted later to determine the chick’s gender.
Visitors
to Mystic Aquarium may catch a glimpse of the new chick’s progress via live
stream located in the underwater viewing area of the Roger Torey Petersen
Penguin Pavilion.
The
African penguin, one of the Aquarium’s most beloved animals, is also at the
highest risk of extinction amongst Mystic Aquarium’s various animal
collections.
Listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2010, the wild population of the African penguin could vanish within our lifetime.
In
addition to being cute, this penguin chick in incredibly important as Mystic
Aquarium works with colleagues from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) to ensure the long-term survival of
African penguins in accredited zoos and aquariums. Mystic Aquarium was a
founding member of the African penguin SSP in 1995.
There
are many actions individuals can take to help change the plight of all endangered
species, including the African penguin, like purchasing sustainable seafood,
participating in local beach clean ups, recycling, properly disposing of
chemical waste and so much more.
Now
more than ever it is important to connect people with animals to inspire
action. Mystic Aquarium’s mission to inspire people to care for and protect the
ocean planet is never more engaging then with its encounter
programs.
The Penguin Encounter and Penguins Up Close each help foster a deeper appreciation for the African penguin and the much-needed conservation efforts.
The Penguin Encounter and Penguins Up Close each help foster a deeper appreciation for the African penguin and the much-needed conservation efforts.
Celebrations
will be forthcoming to commemorate the chick’s first swim in April and the
gender reveal later this spring.
