A zoo is celebrating Easter with the arrival of some very special chicks. The first baby Humboldt Penguins have started to hatch at Chester Zoo, Cheshire. Keeper Karen Neech said: “So far we have had 10 chicks hatch so things are incredibly busy for us and the adult penguins.
There is so much more food required with all these extra mouths to feed. We provide the fish and the parents turn this into a high-protein soup to feed to the chicks, so it really is a combined effort.” Each pair of penguins lays two eggs and will incubate them for 40 days up to hatching. Both parents are involved in incubation as well as rearing the young.
Karen added: “It will be around eight weeks before the juveniles leave the nests, so at the moment we are keeping a close eye on their development.” This year, in recognition of the Year of the Forest campaign, the zoo is naming hatchlings with a British tree theme. The first to hatch was given the name Acorn and the last to hatch will be given the name Oak.
Humboldt Penguins are an endangered South American species, from Peru and Chile.
Source
There is so much more food required with all these extra mouths to feed. We provide the fish and the parents turn this into a high-protein soup to feed to the chicks, so it really is a combined effort.” Each pair of penguins lays two eggs and will incubate them for 40 days up to hatching. Both parents are involved in incubation as well as rearing the young.
Karen added: “It will be around eight weeks before the juveniles leave the nests, so at the moment we are keeping a close eye on their development.” This year, in recognition of the Year of the Forest campaign, the zoo is naming hatchlings with a British tree theme. The first to hatch was given the name Acorn and the last to hatch will be given the name Oak.
Humboldt Penguins are an endangered South American species, from Peru and Chile.
Source
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