by: Herald Sun

November 10, 2011

One of the penguin chicks at Melbourne Aquarium. Picture: Alex Coppel Herald Sun

HAPPY Feet are warm feet, off the ice. Melbourne Aquarium's sub-Antarctic gentoo penguins are celebrating the first chicks of the season.

After incubating for about 35 days, the chicks have started chipping through their eggs to the delight of their proud parents.

Keepers are thrilled with the new arrivals, but also cautious - the first few days in a chick's life are critical.
"The nest is currently being watched around the clock," said lead bird keeper Sarina Walsh.
"There is also a stringent veterinary program in place, with penguin keepers making sure that they are doing everything they can to help the chicks make it through this critical time."
The chicks have fluffy grey plumage, with a "pipping tooth" or hardened bump used to break through the egg, creating a small white tip on the end of the beak.
With several gentoo penguin pairs still sitting on eggs, keepers are hoping for the arrival of several more chicks before Christmas.
The gentoo penguin breeding program joins several other successful breeding programs at Melbourne Aquarium, including the weedy sea dragon breeding program, which is among the most successful in the world.

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