Latest news with #WorldPenguinDay
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Detroit Zoo's new baby penguin, Atticus, finally viewable to public: When you can see him
On the heels of last week's World Penguin Day, the Detroit Zoo is marking a milestone with the public debut of its newest king penguin chick, Atticus – who weighs a whopping 40 pounds at just eight months old! Baby Atticus' egg was laid in June 2024. King penguin chicks develop for an average of 50 days; he hatched on Aug. 19, 2024. 'His parents had raised a chick before, so they had experience,' said Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) bird department supervisor Lindsay Ireland. 'Whenever our king penguins lay eggs in the habitat, we move them to an area not visible, an off-exhibit holding area, so they can incubate their eggs safely and quietly and not be disturbed by the other birds. King penguins co-parent, so they'll take turns incubating the egg and turns feeding the chick once it's hatched. Once the penguin is older, they spend less time sitting on their parents' feet being brooded, which is just them kind of hunching over and keeping the chick warm.' Now, at eight months, Atticus has begun molting, losing his feathers to completely replace his feather coating. 'Atticus is very curious,' Ireland said of the chick's personality. 'Chunk is his father, and King 25 is his mother. They're both very calm birds, so he kind of inherited that from them. Kings, overall, are a little more standoffish with us. They don't really like to be handled or come up to interact with us a lot, but these parents and Atticus are a little more in tune with what we're doing and they want to know what's going on. 'He likes enrichment that the keepers give to him, so when the parents are out in the habitat and he's in the holding space by himself, the keepers give him mirrors to look at. They give him bubbles and little balls to play with, and he loves all that.' More: Detroit Zoo celebrates World Penguin Day with wild penguin conservation work More: Detroit Zoo announces immersive, 7-acre Discovery Trails project to open in 2026 While still spending most of his time behind the scenes, Atticus has, in fact, made his public debut, to the delight of many zoogoers. Ireland shared when guests might catch a glimpse of the chick, and speculated on what's to come in his next six months. 'He's starting his introductions three times a week, where the public can see him,' she said. 'Every time we have divers in our pool, we bring Atticus out so he can get a little more comfortable with all the other birds in the habitat, so if guests come first thing in the morning on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, they have a chance of seeing him before he goes back in when our dive team is done. 'Eventually, once he is fully molted and has his waterproof features, he will start going out every day and will start increasing that time. He might just be out for a few hours in the morning and start increasing that to where he's out full-time during the day when our keepers are in the building. We see him, in this timeframe, getting in and out of the pool really well.' Another notable thing about Atticus is his size: At just six months old in February, the chick weighed in at a large-and-in-charge 35.42 pounds – more than either of his parents, and equivalent to the weight of a three- or four-year-old. 'Yeah, he's a big boy,' said Ireland. 'At his heaviest, which was about a week and a half ago, he was over 43 pounds. He's just under 40 pounds right now, which is on the average or a little more than average for kings. But, as soon as he's done molting and starts moving around, he'll start losing weight and become a nice, trim male king penguin.' Ireland also spoke about how Atticus' birth and study fit into DZS' larger goal of promoting and facilitating penguin conservation globally. 'Anytime that we can raise a penguin in captivity, it really helps us be able to spread that message of what it's like in the wild for penguins – specifically (as pertains to) breeding,' she said. 'A lot of wild penguins' food resource is starting to get depleted because of overfishing and climate change, so we can highlight the troubles that penguins in the wild are starting to have, which is starting to cause a decline in their numbers. 'Everybody's really excited about a king penguin chick, or any penguin chick, so we can really start to highlight the conservation side and what's needed to help protect the wild penguins.' The Detroit Zoo is located at 8450 W. 10 Mile Rd., Royal Oak. General admission is $27, with a reduced youth and senior rate of $24. To learn more or plan your visit, go to Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo's new baby penguin now viewable: How you can see him
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Mumbai: Three new penguins born at Byculla zoo
In the first such event in more than a year, the zoo authorities at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Vanaspati Udyan and Zoo announced the birth of three new baby penguins — Noddy, Tom and Pingu — taking the total tally of the Humboldt penguins at the Byculla zoo up to 21. The eldest of the penguin chicks, Noddy, was born on March 4 to Olive and Poppy while Daisy and Donald gave birth to Tom and Pingu. Tom was born on March 7 while the youngest of the lot was born on March 11. The announcement of their birth, which has sparked immense joy among the authorities, came on April 25 — which is celebrated as World Penguin Day. While the three new additions have been opened for public viewing, officials said that the baby penguins spend most of their time within the nest inside the facility — leaving them inaccessible for visitors' viewing. Biologists at the zoo said that the 'tiniest waddlers' of the zoo are healthy and sound. 'These days, we provide the food to the parents who chew the food, make a flurry and then feed their chicks themselves,' added an official. Prior to this, the Byculla zoo had welcomed three penguins in 2023 when three different pairs of parents gave birth to Coco (female), Stella (female) and Jerry (male). The arrival of the new baby penguins has taken the total tally of Humboldt penguins to 21. Amid the burgeoning population of the species at the zoo, the Byculla authorities have offered penguins for exchange programmes across the zoo in a bid to procure other animals. However, the penguins have found no takers thus — owing to their high costs of maintenance and care — sparking concerns of dwindling space for the penguins at the existing facility.
Eyewitness News
26-04-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
Conservationists say efforts to protect SA's endangered penguin population are far from over
JOHANNESBURG - Although World Penguin Day has passed, conservationists said efforts to protect South Africa's endangered penguin population are far from over. BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds ) have pushed for stronger legal protections, leading to the creation of new no-fishing zones around six key penguin colonies. These include Dassen Island, Robben Island, Stony Point, Dyer Island, St Croix Island, and Bird Island, which together are home to 76% of the country's African penguin population. Spokesperson for the Two Oceans Aquarium Shanté Rutgers said ongoing action is needed to preserve and protect the African penguins, which are only found on the continent's coast. 'Initiatives from the aquarium to oneself is to just be accountable for what you're doing. As a person, as a human being, we have a major effect on the environment and so everything that we do will impact what is happening out in the wild.'
The South African
26-04-2025
- General
- The South African
South Africa steps up to save the African penguin
As the world marked World Penguin Day on Friday, South Africa has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting one of its most iconic yet critically endangered species – the African penguin. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) has outlined bold steps being taken to halt the dramatic population decline of these seabirds, which have seen their numbers plummet to fewer than 9 000 breeding pairs in the country. 'The African penguin faces critical complexities, with fewer than 9 000 breeding pairs remaining in South Africa, earning them a critically endangered status. 'Climate change, overfishing, oil spills, and maritime noise pollution have driven steep declines, but our department, alongside dedicated partners, is taking bold action to reverse this trajectory,' said Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George. The Minister described the African penguin as 'a beloved symbol of South Africa's rich biodiversity and a species at the heart of conservation efforts'. 'As we mark World Penguin Day, I call on all South Africans to join us in protecting these remarkable creatures. Their survival reflects the health of our oceans and our commitment to a sustainable future,' George said. In a landmark development this March, a court-backed agreement between the fishing industry and leading conservation organisations – BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) – was announced. The deal establishes biologically significant no-fishing zones around six critical penguin breeding sites: Dassen Island, Robben Island, Stony Point, Dyer Island, St Croix Island, and Bird Island. These areas account for 76% of the country's African penguin population. 'This agreement, now an order of the court, establishes biologically meaningful no-fishing zones around six key penguin colonies – notably, 12-mile fishing closures around Robben Island and Bird Island, alongside tailored restrictions at other sites, will secure vital sardine and anchovy stocks for penguins over the next decade. 'This achievement was forged by the DFFE through dialogue with the fishing industry, and balances ecological and economic needs, proving collaboration can deliver results.' The department is also confronting the devastating environmental consequences of bunkering – ship-to-ship fuel transfers – in Algoa Bay, near St Croix Island, formerly the largest African penguin colony in the world. 'Oil spills and underwater noise from ship-to-ship refuelling have decimated this population. 'Following a pause in bunkering activities in 2023, we observed a small but encouraging recovery at St Croix. 'Our department is now advancing stricter bunkering regulations to permanently restrict such activities in sensitive ecological zones, safeguarding penguins from further harm,' said the Minister. In addition to these efforts, government is bolstering Marine Protected Areas to enhance fish stocks, backing SANCCOB's work in rehabilitating injured penguins, and funding research to continuously refine conservation strategies. 'Partnerships with organisations like SANCCOB, who recently released rehabilitated penguins like Hope back to the wild, inspire us all,' George said. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- General
- The Citizen
The fight to save the penguins
SANParks manages three of the last remaining colonies of penguins in South Africa. African Penguins walk on the beach at the Boulders penguin colony, which is a popular tourist destination, in Simon's Town, near in Cape Town, on November 1, 2024. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has changed the African Penguin from Endangered to Critically Endangered. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP) Managing the last remaining colonies of penguins in the country, the SA National Parks (SANParks) has committed to wage a concerted effort to stabilise and increase the species population. In marking World Penguin Day on Friday, SANParks said it wanted to grow and preserve the iconic seabird for future generations, steering it away from being on the brink of extinction. The special day is celebrated annually on 25 April to highlight the unique characteristics and conservation challenges faced by the penguin species globally. SANParks manages three of the last remaining colonies of penguins in South Africa. Two of these, consisting of about 3 000 breeding pairs, are found in the Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area, at the St Croix and Bird Islands. According to SANParks head of communications JP Louw, the biodiversity management plan (BMP) for African penguins has ensured 'a collaborative effort involving key stakeholders, including conservation NGOS (non-governmental organisations) and government agencies like the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE)'. Louw said the Spheniscus demersus was among African penguins, native to the southern and southwestern coasts of the continent 'currently standing out due to the significant conservation efforts currently underway to protect it'. No-fishing zones 'In a landmark development last month, the DFFE, South African conservationists and fishing industry groups, agreed to establish no-fishing zones around six major African penguin breeding colonies. 'SANParks, as a lead colony manager, plays a crucial role in managing penguin populations at key breeding sites. 'The BMP includes habitat restoration, installation and monitoring of artificial nest structures and managing predation in the colonies. 'Joint initiatives also focus on penguin monitoring, including tracking population dynamics, assessing breeding success, and rehabilitating injured or sick birds.,' said Louw. He said efforts were 'further supported by public awareness campaigns, promoting sustainable practices among local communities and tourists'. No mining in national parks Meanwhile, Louw said SANParks has 'taken note of reports related to Kropz Elandsfontein (Pty) Limited, requesting to explore the possibility of de-proclamation of a portion of land that is part of the West Coast National Park'. 'SANParks cannot allow any mining activities within a declared national park, as this is prohibited under section 48(1)(a) of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003. 'We have communicated this official position to Kropz and other relevant stakeholders,' he said.
