Saturday, March 31, 2012
More on those Diving Penguins at the London Zoo
London Zoo penguins get diving board to commemorate 2012 Games; have Olympic fever (video)
Mar 30, 2012
AP
So Friday is just crawling along … you think the weekend will
never get here, and you’re getting grouchier by the minute. But then you
saw this video of penguins leaping off of a diving board, and suddenly
everything is OK. Here we are at the London Zoo, where they’ve installed
a new “Olympic London 2012 style diving board” in the penguin
enclosure. I dare you not to smile while watching this. Even the heron —
which can fly, it should be stressed — can’t resist giving it a go.
The Zoo’s colony of 64 penguins, a mix of Humboldt Penguins, Rockhopper Penguins and African Black Footed Penguins, were introduced to the new diving board on Thursday … along with a heron, and assorted sea gulls.
source
The Zoo’s colony of 64 penguins, a mix of Humboldt Penguins, Rockhopper Penguins and African Black Footed Penguins, were introduced to the new diving board on Thursday … along with a heron, and assorted sea gulls.
source
Friday, March 30, 2012
Images of the Day
More of those London penguins show off their Olympic diving form
Toby Melville / Reuters
An
Humboldt Penguin dives off a board as a heron stands in the background
at London Zoo in London March 29, 2012. The diving board has been
installed to coincide with 'Inspired by 2012' London Olympic program.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
A
Humboldt Penguin swims under water after taking a dive from the new
Olympic London 2012 style diving board installed in the penguin
enclosure at London Zoo, Thursday, March 29, 2012.
Rare Penguin Chicks Hatched at Georgia Aquarium
Baby penguins
Mar 30, 2012
Written by Don Buckindail
ATLANTA (WXIA) -- They're fluffy and cute and are only about two months old.
Two South African penguin chicks are the latest additions to the Georgia Aquarium. Their genders aren't known yet. They hatched within two weeks of each other in early January and have been hand-reared behind-the-scenes by Aquarium animal training and veterinary staff members.
Georgia Aquarium is a participating member of the African penguin Species Survival Plan. "Georgia Aquarium is committed to conserving and protecting our aquatic world and the species that inhabit it, including the endangered South African penguin," said Billy Hurley, chief zoological officer and senior vice president of zoological operations, Georgia Aquarium.
"As leaders in aquatic animal care, conservation and research, we are very proud to welcome our first-ever African penguin chicks to our family at Georgia Aquarium. We will continue our commitment of helping to create sustainable animal populations both in the wild as well as in human care for the benefit of present and future generations."
In 2010, Georgia Aquarium redesigned the African penguin habitat in the Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest gallery in order to create an environment that closely mimics their natural environment.
Since hatching, the chicks have gone through considerable changes in a short amount of time. Born with fluffy down feathers, the penguin chicks are currently fledging -- a process where they lose their down feathers and begin growing juvenile plumage.
After becoming fully fledged, the chicks will be "waterproof" and the animal care and training team will begin introducing the animals to water so they can learn to swim in a special pool away from the colony.
Once they are stronger swimmers, the animal care and training team will gradually introduce the chicks to the penguin colony and into the penguin habitat.
The chicks will serve as animal ambassadors in the Aquarium's outreach programs, helping to raise awareness and educate guests about threats penguins face in the wild.
For more information on the Aquarium's South African penguins visit the Aquarium's new blog.
To purchase the all-new Total Ticket, please visit www.georgiaaquarium.org or call 404-581-4000.
African penguins are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
source
Mar 30, 2012
Written by Don Buckindail
ATLANTA (WXIA) -- They're fluffy and cute and are only about two months old.
Two South African penguin chicks are the latest additions to the Georgia Aquarium. Their genders aren't known yet. They hatched within two weeks of each other in early January and have been hand-reared behind-the-scenes by Aquarium animal training and veterinary staff members.
Georgia Aquarium is a participating member of the African penguin Species Survival Plan. "Georgia Aquarium is committed to conserving and protecting our aquatic world and the species that inhabit it, including the endangered South African penguin," said Billy Hurley, chief zoological officer and senior vice president of zoological operations, Georgia Aquarium.
"As leaders in aquatic animal care, conservation and research, we are very proud to welcome our first-ever African penguin chicks to our family at Georgia Aquarium. We will continue our commitment of helping to create sustainable animal populations both in the wild as well as in human care for the benefit of present and future generations."
In 2010, Georgia Aquarium redesigned the African penguin habitat in the Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest gallery in order to create an environment that closely mimics their natural environment.
Since hatching, the chicks have gone through considerable changes in a short amount of time. Born with fluffy down feathers, the penguin chicks are currently fledging -- a process where they lose their down feathers and begin growing juvenile plumage.
After becoming fully fledged, the chicks will be "waterproof" and the animal care and training team will begin introducing the animals to water so they can learn to swim in a special pool away from the colony.
Once they are stronger swimmers, the animal care and training team will gradually introduce the chicks to the penguin colony and into the penguin habitat.
The chicks will serve as animal ambassadors in the Aquarium's outreach programs, helping to raise awareness and educate guests about threats penguins face in the wild.
For more information on the Aquarium's South African penguins visit the Aquarium's new blog.
To purchase the all-new Total Ticket, please visit www.georgiaaquarium.org or call 404-581-4000.
African penguins are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
source
Oi, hands off our fish!
Cheeky heron flies in as penguins enjoy new Olympic diving pool
By Rosie TaylorThere may still be 120 days until the start of the London 2012 Olympics but it seems as though the diving competition has already begun for these keen swimmers.
Leaping head-first from a diving board, a colony of penguins at London Zoo had to fend off an eager heron as they leapt from the newly-installed board for the first time.
While others seemed unsure of what to do with their new toy, one penguin braved the bird, and after waddling along the board, peered off the end curiously before taking the plunge.
Walking the plank: A heron eats a fish on the diving board whilst a penguin gazes up from the pool
Jump around: The heron and the penguin both take a plunge off the Olympics-themed diving board
Nose dive: A Humboldt Penguin jumps into the water as two of its companions ready themselves
Twice-daily penguin shows are one of the zoo’s most popular attractions, and keepers are hoping the diving board will draw more visitors eager to watch the birds show off their impressive moves.
Head Bird keeper, Adrian Walls said: ‘Penguins love nothing more than to show off their diving skills and I think they’ll love having their very own diving board.’
The London 2012 Inspire programme, run by the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), enables non-commercial organisations across the UK to link their activities with the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Eyes wide open: A penguin swims under and is closely followed by two others , part of the 64-strong colony at London Zoo
source
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Penguins in a flap...
... over alien iceberg
March of the penguins ... a group of flappers seem to run away from a UFO-shaped iceberg
Caters
Published:
28th
March 2012
A GROUP of penguins were left in a flap as they ran for cover from an iceberg shaped like an alien spaceship.
The bizarre UFO-style mass was formed when an iceberg fell into the sea with
just the core left.
In another shot the vast polar landscapes tower over the penguins and look like something from another planet.
The pictures were taken by Andrey Pavlov, from Moscow, Russia, while on an
Antarctic expedition.
He said: "I was really amazed by the beauty of this place.
"The views reminded me of science fiction movies about space and the universe.
"When I saw these penguins swimming and running it looked like they were
trying to get away from a UFO-shaped iceberg.
"My first thought was that they looked like aliens invading the earth.
"It is one of my favourite shots and I think I was really luck to be able to capture this scene."
source
In another shot the vast polar landscapes tower over the penguins and look like something from another planet.
Surreal ... penguins on a bizarre-shaped iceberg
CatersHe said: "I was really amazed by the beauty of this place.
"The views reminded me of science fiction movies about space and the universe.
Yappy feet ... a penguin with its young cries out
Caters"My first thought was that they looked like aliens invading the earth.
"It is one of my favourite shots and I think I was really luck to be able to capture this scene."
source
Penguin Droppings Attack Panda Visitors at Edinburgh Zoo
Mar 28, 2012
This is a story of an epic rivalry that turned ugly. The pictures are in color, but the characters are black and white.
For more than 100 years, the colony of waddling, lovable penguins have put the Edinburgh Zoo on the map. Zoo officials say it was the first zoo in the world to exhibit the birds. Today, there are almost 200 penguins that frolic and dart about, delighting visitors.
Lesley Garland, who has been a Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin keeper for the past 11 years, said the penguins have always been popular here because the zoo has such a large colony.
“Each has their own personality,” she said. “They’re sometimes hyper-active toddlers and that’s really how we can tell them apart. It’s all in their personalities.”
Well, the penguins were the top attraction, until the pandas moved in.
After years of negotiating with China, the Edinburgh Zoo was given two pandas on long-term loan. They arrived last fall. The female panda is named Tian Tian, which means “sweetie,” and the male is named Yang Guang, meaning “sunlight.” Not surprisingly, the pandas were an instant hit with visitors.
Good news for the zoo, but not for the penguins, who for the first-time ever lost their coveted status as favorite attraction.
Are the penguins really exacting revenge? So it would seem. Forgive us, but it’s a dirty story involving projectiles of penguin poop aimed at an unsuspecting public. One pair of penguins routinely nests by fence with a commanding view of the walkways below. Which wasn’t a problem until the main entrance to the panda exhibit was placed directly below.
“These people are all waiting to see the pandas and because they are queuing up here, whenever these guys decide to go to the bathroom, it’s been coming over the fence and hitting people on the head,” Garland said.
“It could be the revenge of the penguins,” she added, with a mischievous laugh.
Zoo officials have a theory, she added, that the penguins could be jealous of all the attention the pandas are getting. So they installed a narrow band of Plexiglas on the edge of the penguins’ perch to protect the visitors below.
“I just keep my fingers crossed that that works,” Garland said. “Hopefully none of the larger penguins will come along and try and maybe fire it over the top.”
But the forsaken penguins can take comfort in knowing that in 10 years those cute, cuddly pandas have to go back to China. Perhaps then the penguins will rule the roost at the Edinburgh Zoo once again.
source
For more than 100 years, the colony of waddling, lovable penguins have put the Edinburgh Zoo on the map. Zoo officials say it was the first zoo in the world to exhibit the birds. Today, there are almost 200 penguins that frolic and dart about, delighting visitors.
Lesley Garland, who has been a Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin keeper for the past 11 years, said the penguins have always been popular here because the zoo has such a large colony.
“Each has their own personality,” she said. “They’re sometimes hyper-active toddlers and that’s really how we can tell them apart. It’s all in their personalities.”
Well, the penguins were the top attraction, until the pandas moved in.
After years of negotiating with China, the Edinburgh Zoo was given two pandas on long-term loan. They arrived last fall. The female panda is named Tian Tian, which means “sweetie,” and the male is named Yang Guang, meaning “sunlight.” Not surprisingly, the pandas were an instant hit with visitors.
Good news for the zoo, but not for the penguins, who for the first-time ever lost their coveted status as favorite attraction.
Are the penguins really exacting revenge? So it would seem. Forgive us, but it’s a dirty story involving projectiles of penguin poop aimed at an unsuspecting public. One pair of penguins routinely nests by fence with a commanding view of the walkways below. Which wasn’t a problem until the main entrance to the panda exhibit was placed directly below.
“These people are all waiting to see the pandas and because they are queuing up here, whenever these guys decide to go to the bathroom, it’s been coming over the fence and hitting people on the head,” Garland said.
“It could be the revenge of the penguins,” she added, with a mischievous laugh.
Zoo officials have a theory, she added, that the penguins could be jealous of all the attention the pandas are getting. So they installed a narrow band of Plexiglas on the edge of the penguins’ perch to protect the visitors below.
“I just keep my fingers crossed that that works,” Garland said. “Hopefully none of the larger penguins will come along and try and maybe fire it over the top.”
But the forsaken penguins can take comfort in knowing that in 10 years those cute, cuddly pandas have to go back to China. Perhaps then the penguins will rule the roost at the Edinburgh Zoo once again.
source
Free iTunes App: Crazy Penguin Catapult ($0.99 value)
If you like Angry Birds, you might like Crazy Penguin Catapult on sale for $0.00 for
a limited time on iTunes (normally $0.99). Catapult penguins to knock
down the polar bears. This app is compatible with an iPhone, iPod Touch
or iPad with iOS 3.0 or later. This post contains affiliate links,
please visit my Disclosure Policy. (image credit: iTunes)source
A Penguin Out For Vengeance
Captain Antarctica Is Coming Soon To iOS
BY Casey Tschida on
A now retired secret agent, Captain Antarctica appears to be satisfied with a calm family life. However, after returning home from a trip, he is informed that his wife and other penguins have been kidnapped. Full of rage, Captain Antarctica doesn’t hesitate to commandeer an experimental underwater jetpack equipped with a F1sh Mark I propulsion system to save his family and friends.
Your new mission is to take the role of Captain Antarctica with his jetpack scuba suit, zoom past enemy attacks, destroy the evil bosses, and rescue the kidnapped penguins. The objectives are tough and you may get scared, but your courage and the ability to upgrade equipment will empower you to succeed.
Captain Antarctica, the game, will be released “spring 2012″ for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. For anyone wondering, the game will indeed feature graphics optimized for the third generation iPad’s Retina display. Check out the debut trailer below.
source
'Frozen Planet' preview: Emperor penguins launch like rockets -- EXCLUSIVE CLIP
Mar 27
2012
If you enjoyed the slo-mo footage of gentoo penguins riding Southern Ocean waves in the first installment of Discovery’s Frozen Planet, then you will definitely
want to watch our preview of this Sunday’s hour, “Winter,” below.
Full-bellied female emperor penguins return to their colony — where the
males have been caring for the eggs solo for three months — and launch
themselves out of the water and up onto the ice like rockets. As
narrator Alec Baldwin says, “The females have put on a lot of weight,
and some have become, perhaps, a little ungainly.” Slo-mo makes one
penguin’s miscalculation hilariously epic.source
Penguins Nest, Kick Off Breeding Season At Chicago's Shedd Aquarium (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Posted: 03/27/2012
According to a aquarium spokeswoman, the penguins' breeding season is kicked off with male rockhopper and Magellanic penguins busily searching out the best rocks with which they can construct their cribs, er, nests.
The Shedd has placed dozens of the sort of smooth river rocks that the penguins rely on for their nest construction and entice the birds to commence building by putting out twigs, which help emulate the shrubs under which the birds typically build in their natural habitats. By the time the week of nestbuilding is complete, the aquarium's penguin exhibit will be marked by several new nests.
The nest construction process can get pretty feisty, according to a museum news release as, reportedly, rock theft is a fairly common practice for those flightless birds ruthlessly endeavoring to create the best nest in the oceanarium.
View photos, which appear courtesy of the Shedd Aquarium, of the penguins setting up the new digs they hope will help attract a fly mate:
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Antarctica's Gentoo Penguin Population Growing, Adelie Numbers Decreasing, Study Says
By: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Published: 03/24/2012 on LiveScience
Published: 03/24/2012 on LiveScience
As the Antarctic Peninsula warms, penguins that live in the area
year-round have a breeding advantage over birds that migrate in.
Gentoo penguins live on the Antarctic Peninsula
year-round, and their numbers are increasing while migratory chinstrap
and Adelie penguins are dwindling in the area. New research by Stony
Brook University researcher Heather Lynch reveals that gentoo penguins
have adapted to warmer temperatures faster than the other two species.
Using field work and satellite imagery, Lynch and her colleagues
tracked colonies of the three penguin species. They found that warming
temperatures triggered penguins to lay their eggs earlier in the season
than normal. Gentoos are able to adapt more quickly because they're
locals, the researchers found. Adelie and chinstrap penguins aren't
aware of the local temperatures until they migrate into the area,
meaning they can't shift their breeding as dramatically.
Gentoo penguins may also have an advantage because they prefer areas
with less sea ice than chinstrap and Adelie penguins. The latter two
species rely more on ice-loving krill as their food source. A long-term study of penguins
published in 2011 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences found that krill density is down as much as 80 percent since
the mid-1970s. Krill depend on algae growing on sea ice for food.
Also in 2011, researchers reported that a small colony of West Antarctic Peninsula emperor penguins had disappeared
in 2009 after about three decades of stability. Warming is also
bringing other changes to the southernmost continent, including
colonization by king crabs.
Lynch published her results in the journals Polar Biology, and
Ecology and Marine Ecology Progress Series and will present her work at a
Stony Brook University workshop for educators on April 10 and 11.
Seaview Wildlife Encounter Transfers 20 Humboldt Eggs to Wiltshire
Monday, 26 March 2012
PRESS RELEASE - 20 PENGUIN EGGS ARE ABOUT TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM SEAVIEW WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER, ISLE OF WIGHT TO LONGLEAT SAFARI PARK, WILTSHIRE
Seaview Wildlife Encounter has been a recognised breeder of Humboldt Penguins since 1997. In the wild, Humboldt Penguins are vulnerable with only approximately 10 000 remaining along the South American coastlines of Chile and Peru. In captivity however Humboldts are doing exceptionally well and can be seen in a number of zoos, aquaria and wildlife parks across the UK and Europe. Seaview Wildlife, through its core collection of ten breeding pairs, has been at the forefront of supplying Penguin chicks to a wide cross-section of captive collections – playing an important role in ensuring strong bloodlines and essential genetic diversity.
This year, Seaview Wildlife Encounter is proud to have been selected to supply 20 fertile Humboldt Penguins eggs to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire for their brand new Penguin exhibit scheduled to open in a few month’s time! Each of Seaview Wildlife’s ten breeding females has recently laid two eggs – currently being incubated by the parent birds. Just prior to hatching, the eggs will be removed and placed in incubators ready for their transfer to Wiltshire. It is an unfortunate fact that Penguin chicks have a low survival rate if left to be parent- reared – mainly due to being squashed by their over-zealous parents! For this reason, Seaview Wildlife has many years of hand-rearing experience! The breeding programme is carefully managed and chicks are only reared when the capacity of the Seaview Wildlife Penguin collection allows for extra numbers or when an external request has been vetted and approved.
Hand-rearing Penguin chicks is a full-time job - even for the most experienced of Animal Keepers – so Longleat will no doubt be preparing themselves for the new arrivals! The hand-rearing process involves daily health-checking; sterilising the feeding equipment; liquidising the sprats with added vitamins & minerals; ensuring the environment is clean, dry and correctly heated; weighing and recording various data; and of course feeding the youngsters three to four times a day for 12 weeks! We look forward to reporting back on the future hatching and rearing success of these special little chicks!
source
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Newly hatched penguin chicks pack personality
Name the 'little guy'
To bid in an online auction to name the chick now being called 'Little Guy,' visit www.aviary.org.By Chris Togneri, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Unhappy feat costs businessman $250,000
Cameron Houston
March 25, 2012
MILLIONAIRE property developer Paul Fridman has become a
reluctant benefactor to St Kilda's 1200 penguins, following a
late-night speedboat jaunt that ended when his $200,000 cruiser crashed
into their rocky colony.
Melbourne Magistrates Court has found Mr Fridman, 35, of Brighton, guilty of being intoxicated while at the helm of an 11-metre Riviera cruiser that crashed into rocks near St Kilda Pier 17 months ago. The incident left him with facial injuries and financial losses of about $250,000.
On Thursday, the court heard how Mr Fridman had to pay $41,000 to Parks Victoria for reparation work to the breakwater and removal of leaked fuel and chemicals that threatened the penguin colony. It was also told that one of his cheques had bounced.
A regular on the BRW Young Rich List, Mr Fridman was also unlicensed and failed to keep a proper lookout when the boat collided with the breakwater and sank about 4am on November 27, 2010.
Mr Fridman was unable to make an insurance claim on the $200,000 vessel because he recorded an alcohol reading of 0.1 when tested at The Alfred hospital. He had owned the boat for less than a month.
Mr Fridman's defence lawyer, Robert Galbally, denied his client had been speeding on the night of the accident. Mr Galbally said Fridman had failed to see the breakwater's beacon because of a half-metre swell and had been thrown off course by the waves.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen appeared unconvinced.
''I think he was drunk and drove into the rocks … he was motoring along,'' he said.
Mr Vandersteen fined Mr Fridman $2000 and disqualified him from holding a boat licence for six months.
In 2010, Mr Fridman told The Sunday Age that he was not intoxicated and denied he was the driver of the boat. He did not return several calls last week.
With an estimated fortune of $80 million, Mr Fridman founded his development company, Fridcorp, at the age of 21. He has been involved in several luxury apartment projects in Melbourne's inner suburbs, which have often had the financial backing of prominent Melbourne businessman Daniel Besen.
source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melbourne Magistrates Court has found Mr Fridman, 35, of Brighton, guilty of being intoxicated while at the helm of an 11-metre Riviera cruiser that crashed into rocks near St Kilda Pier 17 months ago. The incident left him with facial injuries and financial losses of about $250,000.
On Thursday, the court heard how Mr Fridman had to pay $41,000 to Parks Victoria for reparation work to the breakwater and removal of leaked fuel and chemicals that threatened the penguin colony. It was also told that one of his cheques had bounced.
A regular on the BRW Young Rich List, Mr Fridman was also unlicensed and failed to keep a proper lookout when the boat collided with the breakwater and sank about 4am on November 27, 2010.
Mr Fridman was unable to make an insurance claim on the $200,000 vessel because he recorded an alcohol reading of 0.1 when tested at The Alfred hospital. He had owned the boat for less than a month.
Mr Fridman's defence lawyer, Robert Galbally, denied his client had been speeding on the night of the accident. Mr Galbally said Fridman had failed to see the breakwater's beacon because of a half-metre swell and had been thrown off course by the waves.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen appeared unconvinced.
''I think he was drunk and drove into the rocks … he was motoring along,'' he said.
Mr Vandersteen fined Mr Fridman $2000 and disqualified him from holding a boat licence for six months.
In 2010, Mr Fridman told The Sunday Age that he was not intoxicated and denied he was the driver of the boat. He did not return several calls last week.
With an estimated fortune of $80 million, Mr Fridman founded his development company, Fridcorp, at the age of 21. He has been involved in several luxury apartment projects in Melbourne's inner suburbs, which have often had the financial backing of prominent Melbourne businessman Daniel Besen.
source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
