
Baby Humboldt penguin becomes second ever to be hatched at zoo
Five Sisters Zoo confirmed that the chick hatched on April 28, becoming the second Humboldt penguin chick to be born there.
The zoo said the newest addition to its colony is 'thriving' and has bonded closely with its parents.
'As with all hatchlings, the early weeks are critical, and our staff are monitoring the young penguin's health and progress closely,' a spokesperson for the zoo said. Five Sisters Zoo The chick hatched at Five Sisters Zoo on April 28. Five Sisters Zoo
'We are now awaiting blood test results to determine the sex of the chick.'
Humboldt penguins are classified as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Wild populations of the species have declined due to various threats such as climate change, overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. Five Sisters Zoo Humboldt penguins are classified as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Five Sisters Zoo
To celebrate the chick's arrival, the zoo is inviting the public to participate in a competition to help name the newest addition to the colony.
'We welcome all creative name suggestions. The winning name will be announced once we confirm the chick's gender,' a spokesperson said.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


STV News
2 days ago
- STV News
Offshore wind farm project poses 'devastating' threat to seabirds, experts warn
Plans for one of the world's largest offshore wind farms could have a 'devastating' impact on seabirds, conservationists warn. The proposed Berwick Bank development would see up to 307 turbines built in the outer Firth of Forth, about 40km off the Scottish coast and near key seabird colonies like Bass Rock, St Abb's Head and the Isle of May. The area is home to a rich variety of species, including puffins, razorbills, guillemots and gannets. The island of Craigleith, just off North Berwick, has seen a dramatic resurgence in its puffin population after nearly two decades of conservation work. More than a thousand volunteers have helped clear invasive tree mallow – a plant which once covered 80% of the land and blocked puffins from nesting in their burrows. Today, an estimated 5,000 breeding pairs live on Craigleith up from around 1,000 in 2007. But across the UK, seabird numbers are falling. The latest seabird census found around 70% of Scotland's seabird species had dropped over a 20-year period, with as many as seven seabird species experiencing declines of over 50%. Conservationists fear Berwick Bank could threaten puffins and other seabird populations off the east coast. STV News July marks fledging season as pufflings take to the skies for the first time It's July in the Firth of Forth – and for Scotland's young puffins that means it's time for their first flight. All they need is a little courage to make the leap. SOS Puffin Project conservation officer Emily Burton said: 'The pufflings, which are the baby puffins, are just starting to get to the point where they're fledging – so they're leaving their burrows for the first time. 'Puffins nest underground in burrows, so this will be the first time that those pufflings have seen the sea and been out in the open air – and what they'll be doing is fledging and heading out into the open water.' Thanks to the work on Craigleith, many now have that chance. For nearly two decades, volunteers have worked to cut back tree mallow and restore the island's habitat. STV News Puffins and other seabirds 'already struggling' STV News Seabirds 'living on the margins of survival', expert says Volunteer John Hunter has organised around 300 work parties since the project's launch in 2007. He said: 'When we started there weren't that many puffins nesting, maybe only hundreds. We think there are around 5,000 pairs now nesting. So it's looking promising for them. 'We'll have to carry on for a few more years sending out necessary work parties to keep tree mallow at bay. 'The future is hard to predict. But I think we've made a huge difference.' Emily said the long-running effort to remove tree mallow has been vital for the birds' survival. 'It grows so densely that it outcompetes all native vegetation here and creates an environment that makes it very difficult for puffins to breed successfully. 'Seabirds are facing a lot of different threats – climate change, unsustainable fishing, offshore development and other invasive species.' STV News Conservation officer Emily Burton The looming Berwick Bank project has brought the future of seabirds in the Firth of Forth into sharp focus. Despite the environmental concerns, energy giant SSE Renewables says the Berwick Bank project is vital for Scotland's transition to renewable energy. The Scottish Government has yet to decide on the project, nearly two years after SSE submitted its application in late 2022. The development could generate up to 4.1 gigawatts, enough to power more than six million homes, and the company calls it one of the world's most significant offshore wind opportunities. But according to SSE's own environmental impact assessment, more than 31,000 bird collisions are estimated during its lifespan. 'We're very worried about the impact it'll have. These seabirds are already struggling on the islands we look after. They will be flying near the development when they forage and feed. 'We need to look a bit more closely at these issues and work out how we do our very best for our seabirds. It's very important.' Adobe Stock Wind farm three times the size of Edinburgh proposed off east coast RSPB Scotland's Aedán Smith warned that the proposed development could have a 'really devastating' impact on seabirds. 'There's kind of a scarecrow effect with turbines,' he said. 'Birds see something unfamiliar in their environment and avoid that area. 'If it's a place they depend on for feeding, and they can't find food elsewhere, they might struggle to feed their chicks or starve themselves. 'A lot of seabirds are already living right on the margins of survival. If they have to fly even a little further, it might push them over the edge.' Aedán urged that profits from offshore wind projects should be reinvested to protect seabird populations. 'We need to get that balance right in the least damaging way possible,' he said. 'We need renewables, but we also want to see our seabirds thrive. 'If the solution to climate change means destroying our natural environment, then it's no solution at all. 'Some of the biggest investments we've ever seen are exploiting nature. We should invest some of that back into Scotland's natural environment and improving seabird resilience.' SSE said it has already revised its designs to help minimise potential risks to seabirds. An SSE spokesperson said: 'Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is critical to ensuring we prevent the worst possible impacts of climate change which, according to the most recent expert assessment, is the biggest single threat to Scottish seabirds. 'Developing a world-leading offshore wind industry, with projects of the scale and ambition of Berwick Bank, is a key part of combating the catastrophic consequences of that.' A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: 'It would not be appropriate to comment on a live consenting application.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

STV News
3 days ago
- STV News
‘Rare and exciting': 4,000-year-old handprint found on Egyptian clay model
A handprint left 4,000 years ago on a clay model crafted to go inside an Egyptian tomb has been discovered during preparation for an exhibition at a museum. The 'rare and exciting' complete handprint was probably made by the maker of the item who touched it before the clay dried, an Egyptologist at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum said. The imprint was left on the base of a 'soul house' – a clay model in the shape of a building which would then be placed inside a burial. The model on which the handprint was discovered has been dated to around 2055–1650 BCE. It had an open front space where items of food were laid out, in this example loaves of bread, a lettuce and an ox's head. Helen Strudwick views a 4,000-year-old ancient Egyptian handprint / Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Soul houses may have acted as offering trays or provided a place for the soul of the deceased to live within the tomb. Helen Strudwick, senior Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum, said: 'We've spotted traces of fingerprints left in wet varnish or on a coffin in the decoration, but it is rare and exciting to find a complete handprint underneath this soul house. 'This was left by the maker who touched it before the clay dried. 'I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before.' The researcher, who is also curator of the museum's new Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition, continued: 'You can just imagine the person who made this, picking it up to move it out of the workshop to dry before firing. 'Things like this take you directly to the moment when the object was made and to the person who made it, which is the focus of our exhibition.' Analysis of the item suggests the potter who made it first created a framework of wooden sticks and then coated it with clay to make a building with two storeys supported by pillars. Staircases were formed by pinching the wet clay. During firing the wooden framework burnt away, leaving empty spaces in their place. The handprint found underneath was probably made when someone, perhaps the potter, moved the house out of the workshop to dry before firing in a kiln, according to the researchers. Ceramics were widely used in ancient Egypt, mostly as functional objects but occasionally as decorative pieces. The soul house will be on display in the Fitzwilliam's Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition which opens to the public on October 3. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country


STV News
22-07-2025
- STV News
Pod of dolphins captured soaring alongside Waverley paddle steamer
A pod of dolphins has been spotted soaring alongside a boat as it left a dock in North Ayrshire. The animals were captured swimming alongside the Waverley paddle steamer as it left Largs on Monday afternoon. Photographer, Pix by Pedro, said it was his favourite drone clip he has captured. Sharing the footage on Facebook, he said: 'This is probably my favourite drone video that I have captured. 'Totally unexpected and technically difficult to film, but I hope you enjoy a wee clip of the dolphins (four or five including a young one) breaking the water in advance of The Waverley as it left Largs this afternoon.' STV News is now on WhatsApp Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News