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Ice/Land/Waterscapes
2 months ago
Sunday, July 5, 2009
More on the SB Zoo Hatchling
First penguin chick hatches at SB Zoo
By ERIC LINDBERG — July 4, 2009
The first Humboldt penguin to be successfully hatched at the Santa Barbara Zoo is resting in a quiet area until it learns how to swim, zoo officials announced yesterday.
The chick, its gender yet to be determined, had been foster-reared on exhibit until it emerged from its shell last month. Zookeepers are caring for the chick for the next few weeks until it is old enough to take its first dip.
“This is the age when the chick would naturally begin to gain independence in the wild,” Sheri Horiszny, the zoo’s director of animal programs, said in a news release. “We want to make sure the chick grows its waterproof feathers and can swim well before it has access to the big pool in the exhibit.”
The baby chick is growing quickly, zoo officials said, noting its weight increased from 90 grams the day after it hatched to 501 grams 10 days later and 1300 grams by the end of June.
Its parents, the only pair of the zoo’s 15 adult penguins that have a recommendation to breed under a species survival plan, arrived at the zoo last year from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
“This pair had laid fertile eggs in the past, but had never been successful in rearing their young,” Horiszny said in the release. “As a result, we researched the histories of all our penguins to find one with past parenting success.
“We have a male that had successfully fostered eggs before, and we placed the egg with him and his partner, also a male,” she continued. “The foster pair were dedicated incubators, and fed the chick well.”
The zoo’s penguin exhibit, known as the Crawford Family Penguin House, includes a 5,670 cubic-foot pool and opened just three years ago. Its inhabitants are listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.
Non-captive Humboldt penguins live in their native habitat along the coastal desert regions of South America, from Peru to Chile. The total world population of the species is estimated at 12,000 breeding pairs, although that figure is quickly declining.
Zoo officials said overfishing of its food supply, commercial removal of guano used by the penguins for burrows, entanglement in fishing nets and predators are all having a serious impact on the species. Experts are concerned that Humboldt penguins could be extinct within decades.
Source:
http://www.thedailysound.com/070409penguinchick
By ERIC LINDBERG — July 4, 2009
The first Humboldt penguin to be successfully hatched at the Santa Barbara Zoo is resting in a quiet area until it learns how to swim, zoo officials announced yesterday.
The chick, its gender yet to be determined, had been foster-reared on exhibit until it emerged from its shell last month. Zookeepers are caring for the chick for the next few weeks until it is old enough to take its first dip.
“This is the age when the chick would naturally begin to gain independence in the wild,” Sheri Horiszny, the zoo’s director of animal programs, said in a news release. “We want to make sure the chick grows its waterproof feathers and can swim well before it has access to the big pool in the exhibit.”
The baby chick is growing quickly, zoo officials said, noting its weight increased from 90 grams the day after it hatched to 501 grams 10 days later and 1300 grams by the end of June.
Its parents, the only pair of the zoo’s 15 adult penguins that have a recommendation to breed under a species survival plan, arrived at the zoo last year from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
“This pair had laid fertile eggs in the past, but had never been successful in rearing their young,” Horiszny said in the release. “As a result, we researched the histories of all our penguins to find one with past parenting success.
“We have a male that had successfully fostered eggs before, and we placed the egg with him and his partner, also a male,” she continued. “The foster pair were dedicated incubators, and fed the chick well.”
The zoo’s penguin exhibit, known as the Crawford Family Penguin House, includes a 5,670 cubic-foot pool and opened just three years ago. Its inhabitants are listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.
Non-captive Humboldt penguins live in their native habitat along the coastal desert regions of South America, from Peru to Chile. The total world population of the species is estimated at 12,000 breeding pairs, although that figure is quickly declining.
Zoo officials said overfishing of its food supply, commercial removal of guano used by the penguins for burrows, entanglement in fishing nets and predators are all having a serious impact on the species. Experts are concerned that Humboldt penguins could be extinct within decades.
Source:
http://www.thedailysound.com/070409penguinchick
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Dog mauls endangered penguins
Penguins killed: National Parks to step up patrols
Posted Sat Jul 4, 2009 7:41am AEST
National Parks and Wildlife officers will step up patrols on Sydney's northern beaches after four penguins were killed in a suspected dog attack.
The little penguins were found dead in a breeding ground area at Manly beach yesterday.
The area manager of Sydney Harbour National Park, Peter Hay, says the penguins are an endangered species and the colony at Manly is particularly fragile.
Mr Hay is calling on anyone with information about the attack to come forward.
"The Manly little penguin population is an endangered population, there are only 60 breeding pairs and this is a very large blow to the penguin population of Manly - we are very disappointed," he said.
Source:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/04/2616699.htm?section=australia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dog suspect in penguin deaths
July 4, 2009
A DOG is suspected to have killed protected fairy penguins on the northern beaches.
A Manly Environment Centre volunteer, Angelika Treichler, said the endangered penguins were found with smashed skulls on a private beach in Manly yesterday.
"We haven't got the autopsy results yet, but it looks like they were mauled … by one dog," Ms Treichler said.
"We've had one dog mauling eight all at once a few years back on the same little private beach."
She said dogs were banned from the area, home to the only mainland colony of the penguins in NSW. Volunteers worked vigilantly to protect the 65 breeding pairs, she said.
"We're all working every night … at Manly Wharf protecting the penguins … I've been looking after them for five years now and every little penguin counts, and four in one go - I still can't believe it."
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/dog-suspect-in-penguin-deaths-20090703-d7st.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dog mauls endangered penguins
July 03, 2009 05:32pm
FOUR fairy penguins have been fatally mauled by a dog on Sydney's northern beaches, devastating local volunteers who work to protect them.
Manly Environment Centre volunteer Angelika Treichler said the endangered penguins were found with smashed skulls on a private beach in Manly today.
"We haven't got the autopsy results yet, but it looks like they were mauled ... by one dog,'' Ms Treichler said.
"We've had one dog mauling eight all at once a few years back on the same little private beach.''
She said dogs were banned from the area, which is home to the only mainland colony of the penguins in New South Wales.
Volunteers work vigilantly to protect the 65 breeding pairs in the area, she said.
"We're all working every night ... at Manly Wharf protecting the penguins.
"It's heartbreaking when you look after the penguins.
"I've been looking after them for five years now and every little penguin counts and four in one go, I still can't believe it.''
Source:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25728290-29277,00.html
Posted Sat Jul 4, 2009 7:41am AEST
National Parks and Wildlife officers will step up patrols on Sydney's northern beaches after four penguins were killed in a suspected dog attack.
The little penguins were found dead in a breeding ground area at Manly beach yesterday.
The area manager of Sydney Harbour National Park, Peter Hay, says the penguins are an endangered species and the colony at Manly is particularly fragile.
Mr Hay is calling on anyone with information about the attack to come forward.
"The Manly little penguin population is an endangered population, there are only 60 breeding pairs and this is a very large blow to the penguin population of Manly - we are very disappointed," he said.
Source:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/04/2616699.htm?section=australia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dog suspect in penguin deaths
July 4, 2009
A DOG is suspected to have killed protected fairy penguins on the northern beaches.
A Manly Environment Centre volunteer, Angelika Treichler, said the endangered penguins were found with smashed skulls on a private beach in Manly yesterday.
"We haven't got the autopsy results yet, but it looks like they were mauled … by one dog," Ms Treichler said.
"We've had one dog mauling eight all at once a few years back on the same little private beach."
She said dogs were banned from the area, home to the only mainland colony of the penguins in NSW. Volunteers worked vigilantly to protect the 65 breeding pairs, she said.
"We're all working every night … at Manly Wharf protecting the penguins … I've been looking after them for five years now and every little penguin counts, and four in one go - I still can't believe it."
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/dog-suspect-in-penguin-deaths-20090703-d7st.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dog mauls endangered penguins
July 03, 2009 05:32pm
FOUR fairy penguins have been fatally mauled by a dog on Sydney's northern beaches, devastating local volunteers who work to protect them.
Manly Environment Centre volunteer Angelika Treichler said the endangered penguins were found with smashed skulls on a private beach in Manly today.
"We haven't got the autopsy results yet, but it looks like they were mauled ... by one dog,'' Ms Treichler said.
"We've had one dog mauling eight all at once a few years back on the same little private beach.''
She said dogs were banned from the area, which is home to the only mainland colony of the penguins in New South Wales.
Volunteers work vigilantly to protect the 65 breeding pairs in the area, she said.
"We're all working every night ... at Manly Wharf protecting the penguins.
"It's heartbreaking when you look after the penguins.
"I've been looking after them for five years now and every little penguin counts and four in one go, I still can't believe it.''
Source:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25728290-29277,00.html
Pennies for Penguins--Hooray for Shannon!
Brookfield teen collects pennies for penguins
By John Pirro
Staff Writer
Updated: 07/03/2009 12:22:51 AM EDT
BROOKFIELD -- It's called Pennies for Penguins, and Shannon Pugliese won't be satisfied until she's collected at least one cent for each of the estimated 150,000 African penguins still in existence.
But the soon-to-be 15-year-old is more than likely to surpass that mark. In just over two months, she's raised more than $1,000, or 100,000 pennies, for an African penguin research program being conducted by the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration.
The aquarium has been Shannon's favorite place since she started attending week-long summer camps there as a 9-year-old.
"She's kind of grown up with it. The aquarium has opened up a whole new world for her," said her mother, Linda Pugliese.
During her visits to the aquarium, Shannon developed a special interest in the African penguin and the Beluga whale.
Attending camp allowed her access to the behind-the-scenes operation at the aquarium, as well as a chance to learn about marine biology and the environment.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 1.5 million of the 2-foot-tall, 11-pound creatures in existence.
A hundred years later, the number had been reduced by 90 percent, and the dwindling population took a further hit in 2003, when a shipwreck near one of their primary breeding grounds coated thousands of penguins with oil.
Last year a special task force at the aquarium came up with the idea of asking visitors to add $1, or 100 pennies, to their
Advertisement
admission fees to fund a program on penguin research.
On her own, Shannon decided to expand the effort, soliciting donations from friends and family members. Then, with networking assistance from her mother, she began collecting donations from area businesses.
"Mostly, I would collect them after school, and then my mother started taking me to different offices," said Shannon, who just completed her freshman year at Brookfield High School.
Soon the pennies were pouring in, filling every available container until they were almost too heavy to carry to the bank.
Then people started contributing cash and checks, she said.
Two weeks ago, Shannon and her mother made the drive to Mystic to present aquarium officials with a check for $1,000, along with several more buckets of pennies.
Shannon got a chance to meet close-up with one of the penguins and was made a member of the Kelvin Smith Ocean Society, which recognizes people who make significant contributions in support of the aquarium's mission.
But Shannon isn't finished. She's continuing to collect pennies and will be participating in the aquarium's Penguin Run/Walk in the fall. She's even recruited some of her friends to participate in the fundraiser.
Shannon is also an accomplished golfer, her ability surfacing after her father, Ed Silk of Danbury, took her to a driving range four years ago. She's taken lessons for several years, and this summer she'll be playing in 11 youth tournaments sponsored by the Connecticut section of the Junior PGA.
So does she want to continue her interest in marine life and study marine biology in college or does she envision a future on the links?
"Hopefully both," Shannon said.
Source:
http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12745952
By John Pirro
Staff Writer
Updated: 07/03/2009 12:22:51 AM EDT
BROOKFIELD -- It's called Pennies for Penguins, and Shannon Pugliese won't be satisfied until she's collected at least one cent for each of the estimated 150,000 African penguins still in existence.
But the soon-to-be 15-year-old is more than likely to surpass that mark. In just over two months, she's raised more than $1,000, or 100,000 pennies, for an African penguin research program being conducted by the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration.
The aquarium has been Shannon's favorite place since she started attending week-long summer camps there as a 9-year-old.
"She's kind of grown up with it. The aquarium has opened up a whole new world for her," said her mother, Linda Pugliese.
During her visits to the aquarium, Shannon developed a special interest in the African penguin and the Beluga whale.
Attending camp allowed her access to the behind-the-scenes operation at the aquarium, as well as a chance to learn about marine biology and the environment.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 1.5 million of the 2-foot-tall, 11-pound creatures in existence.
A hundred years later, the number had been reduced by 90 percent, and the dwindling population took a further hit in 2003, when a shipwreck near one of their primary breeding grounds coated thousands of penguins with oil.
Last year a special task force at the aquarium came up with the idea of asking visitors to add $1, or 100 pennies, to their
Advertisement
admission fees to fund a program on penguin research.
On her own, Shannon decided to expand the effort, soliciting donations from friends and family members. Then, with networking assistance from her mother, she began collecting donations from area businesses.
"Mostly, I would collect them after school, and then my mother started taking me to different offices," said Shannon, who just completed her freshman year at Brookfield High School.
Soon the pennies were pouring in, filling every available container until they were almost too heavy to carry to the bank.
Then people started contributing cash and checks, she said.
Two weeks ago, Shannon and her mother made the drive to Mystic to present aquarium officials with a check for $1,000, along with several more buckets of pennies.
Shannon got a chance to meet close-up with one of the penguins and was made a member of the Kelvin Smith Ocean Society, which recognizes people who make significant contributions in support of the aquarium's mission.
But Shannon isn't finished. She's continuing to collect pennies and will be participating in the aquarium's Penguin Run/Walk in the fall. She's even recruited some of her friends to participate in the fundraiser.
Shannon is also an accomplished golfer, her ability surfacing after her father, Ed Silk of Danbury, took her to a driving range four years ago. She's taken lessons for several years, and this summer she'll be playing in 11 youth tournaments sponsored by the Connecticut section of the Junior PGA.
So does she want to continue her interest in marine life and study marine biology in college or does she envision a future on the links?
"Hopefully both," Shannon said.
Source:
http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12745952
Baby penguin born at the Santa Barbara Zoo
Baby penguin born at the Santa Barbara Zoo
Friday, July 3, 2009
Reported by: Kelly Bush
A South Coast zoo welcomes a new member to its family.
The Santa Barbara Zoo welcomed its first Humboldt penguin, hatched three weeks ago.
Only two of the zoo's fifteen adult Humboldt penguins can breed under the Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The baby penguin will not be housed in an exhibit until it learns to swim.
Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable in their native habitat along the pacific coast of South America.
Source:
http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=10642145
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday Videos
Many thanks to Nothing But Penguins for the videos... it's a great place to shop for pengie things, too (see link section). :)
Living Coasts Aquarium Opens Largest Penguin Exhibit In The World - 700 Penguins
Living Coasts Aquarium Opens Largest Penguin Exhibit In The World - 700 Penguins
Thu, 7/2/2009 - 9:16 AM
By Philip Knowling
Torquay, UK - A local conservation charity is paying tribute to artist Antony Gormley with a wildlife response to one of his most famous works.
Gormley’s Field for the British Isles is on display at Torre Abbey from 27th June until 23rd August.
Now Living Coasts Aquarium, Torquay’s coastal zoo, has produced Colony of Tor Bay – nearly 700 hand-painted plaster penguins, each 15 centimeters high. The installation is at the attraction’s front entrance on the quayside at Haldon Pier. Staff and volunteers have produced the miniature penguins over the last six months.
Living Coasts Director Elaine Hayes said: “Having such a famous work of art in Torquay has inspired local people to think about art from their own perspective. We are a conservation charity and we wanted to reflect that, so we decided to make a penguin response to Field for the British Isles. During August the penguin figures will gradually be taken away to represent the loss of wildlife around the world.”
Meanwhile, a display of photographs showing people’s own interpretations of Antony Gormley figures - dubbed “terras” - in unusual locations will be on show in the Living Coasts café during August. Living Coasts is a registered charity. For more information go to www.livingcoasts.org.uk or ring (01803) 202470.
To view Living Coasts Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-786-Living_Coasts
Photo: Jennifer Richards from Living Coasts with the mini-penguins.
Source:
http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-1743-Living_Coasts_Aquarium_Opens_Largest_Penguin_Exhibit_In_The_World_-_700_Penguins
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Penguins on the Loose
Penguins on the Loose
At times in The Maritime Aquarium’s new “African Penguins” special exhibit, the penguins swim right against the viewing windows.
But how fun would it be if you could remove the glass from between the birds and visitors’ delighted eyes?
Pretty cool, we think. So this July and August, once each day, the barrier will be removed and visitors can enjoy seeing a penguin wander right in front of them unfettered.
“Penguins on the Loose” will be offered at 11:15 a.m. daily near the Marine Care & Culture Lab (just past the elevator). Visitors can sit and stand around a special penguin mat, while one or two penguins will be invited out to wander, explore and generally do what penguins do. Don’t be surprised if one walks right up to you and checks you out. (You’ll find out what it’s like to get the penguin “eyeball.”) Because penguins don’t follow scripts, each presentation is sure to be a bit different.
An Aquarium biologist will talk about our African penguins and how we care for them, about penguins in general (including conservation issues that penguins share with Long Island Sound animals) and answer any other questions you may have.
“There’s something about being among these birds without the glass between you that everyone finds thrilling and special,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “Many people feel a meaningful and exciting connection to the penguins by sharing their space.”
Even better, “Penguins on the Loose” will be free with Aquarium admission.
Source:
http://www.connecticutplus.com/cplus/information/calendar/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=9551&year=2009&month=06
At times in The Maritime Aquarium’s new “African Penguins” special exhibit, the penguins swim right against the viewing windows.
But how fun would it be if you could remove the glass from between the birds and visitors’ delighted eyes?
Pretty cool, we think. So this July and August, once each day, the barrier will be removed and visitors can enjoy seeing a penguin wander right in front of them unfettered.
“Penguins on the Loose” will be offered at 11:15 a.m. daily near the Marine Care & Culture Lab (just past the elevator). Visitors can sit and stand around a special penguin mat, while one or two penguins will be invited out to wander, explore and generally do what penguins do. Don’t be surprised if one walks right up to you and checks you out. (You’ll find out what it’s like to get the penguin “eyeball.”) Because penguins don’t follow scripts, each presentation is sure to be a bit different.
An Aquarium biologist will talk about our African penguins and how we care for them, about penguins in general (including conservation issues that penguins share with Long Island Sound animals) and answer any other questions you may have.
“There’s something about being among these birds without the glass between you that everyone finds thrilling and special,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “Many people feel a meaningful and exciting connection to the penguins by sharing their space.”
Even better, “Penguins on the Loose” will be free with Aquarium admission.
Source:
http://www.connecticutplus.com/cplus/information/calendar/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=9551&year=2009&month=06
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