Baby penguins hatched – Chester Zoo
It’s hatching season for Humboldt penguins at the Chester Zoo, and this year the keepers have seen a record number of chicks hatched.
The 11 chicks joining the colony are a delight for visitors and handlers alike, as well as a boon for the species which was recently classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Chester Live reports that the zoo has seen all 11 successfully make it through the first 40 days of life—the most delicate period for the flightless birds—and that now the naming process will begin.
The zoo has previously used themes to keep track of hatching groups and their years, with previous generations being named after NHS doctors, Olympic athletes, and retail chocolate bars, this year’s theme is flowers. Nettle, Thistle, Dandelion, Tulip, and Daffodil are among the confirmed names so far.
“We’re delighted to say that all of the chicks are looking really healthy and the parents have done a superb job of caring for their new arrivals up to this point. As keepers, our main role in raising the new youngsters is to ensure the adult penguins have all they need,” said Zoe Sweetman, team manager of parrots and penguins at the zoo.
“Sometimes this can mean providing extra fish, which the parents swallow, churn into a high-protein soup, and then regurgitate to feed the chicks. We also weigh the chicks regularly so that we can monitor their development—on average they’ve gone from a mere 80g to 2.5kg in just 40 days. It’s been a huge team effort.”
credit Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is one of the UK’s most active institutions in the captive breeding of endangered species, and GNN has reported on their efforts raising the Philippine spotted deer, Andean bear, okapi, Sumatran tiger, Coquerel’s sifaka, cotton-top tamarin, Sulawesi crested macaque, and greater one-horned rhino.
In their natural habitat, Humboldt penguins are found on the coasts of Chile and Argentina, where their name comes from the chilly Humboldt current that brings frigid, nutrient-rich waters up from Antarctica.
MORE RARE BIRTHS: Tiny ‘Mouse Deer’ Born at English Zoo is the Height of a Pencil — And AdorableThere are 17 known penguin species in the world and the Humboldt penguin is one of the most vulnerable. Living in borrows in large colonies, these birds can swim at 25 miles per hour, the same as Usain Bolt’s average speed across his record-setting 100-meter dash. Chester Zoo Celebrates as 11 Adorable Endangered Penguin Chicks Hatch–the Most for a Decade
