The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance just announced the birth of a new fluffy member of its flock: A baby African penguin.
According to a statement from the zoo, the chick was hatched to parents Guja and Keni on October 15 of this year. But early on, something was amiss.
The chick faced a serious respiratory ailment and was placed in the zoo’s Small Animal Intensive Care Unit, receiving “treatment, supplemental oxygen, and devoted round-the-clock care.”
African penguins were reclassified earlier this year from Endangered to Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning any new arrivals for the species are especially precious.
In the wild, these penguins face threats including climate change and severe weather, pollution, invasive species, viral disease, hunting and trapping, human disturbance, and impacts from mining and quarrying, according to the IUCN.
African penguins are different from their Antarctic counterparts, swimming exclusively in the warm waters of Southern Africa, near countries like Namibia, Port Elizabeth, and other surrounding islands.
Over the past 100 years, however, wild African penguin populations have declined more than 98%, dwindling from a population of over a million to just 19,800.
With systematic monitoring, action recovery plans, and conservation programs — like those at DZCA — animal experts hope to help rebound the species.
Every year, zoo experts visit Cape Town to work with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds to rehabilitate and release penguin chicks.
And in 2021, DZCA unveiled its new penguin habitat — Pinnacol African Penguin Point — a 10,000-gallon swimming pool “surrounded by heated rockwork and fitted with cozy burrows,” similar to the topography of the native waters the species is used to.
Now, one little miracle will soon make a splash.
The recovery of DZCA’s new chick — whose sex remains undetermined at this time — is “nothing short of remarkable,” as zoo officials told The Denver Post.
“This fluff ball graduated from the ICU and is back behind the scenes at Pinnacol African Penguin Point,” DZCA shared on social media.
“It’s growing well, chowing down on fish, and showing a calm, curious personality.”
Zoo officials are not rushing the chick’s introduction to the rest of the flock, however. As they continue to monitor its health, veterinarians will soon run a DNA test to determine the sex of the chick, as male and female African penguins look nearly identical.
But in just a few short weeks, officials are hopeful the baby will be ready to meet its other family members and venture into an outdoor habitat.
“All Zoo babies are precious, but it’s even more special when we have a success with a Critically Endangered species,” DZCA shared online. “We’re especially grateful for this win… Join us in celebrating the newest member of our flock.”
Header image courtesy of Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
