Wiinterrr's Day: Penguin chicks named at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Penguin chicks named at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

By Saliqa Khan

BALTIMORE —The votes are in! Say hello to Dawn and Hope -- the two newest additions at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
For the past two weeks, people cast their votes to name the first two penguin chicks of the 2014 breeding season at the zoo. Voting ended this weekend and 909 out of 2,400 votes cast were for "Dawn" and "Hope."

Both names have a significant meaning. Dawn is named in honor of the dishwashing detergent that is used to clean wild penguins and other birds that have been caught in oil spills. Hope is named for the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, which is home to the Boulders Penguin Colony.

Dawn and Hope hatched on Oct. 4 and Oct. 9, the first chicks to hatch at the zoo’s new Penguin Coast exhibit. They are being hand raised by staff and will become part of the Animal Embassy outreach program that travels to schools, camps, libraries and more all over Maryland. People may also meet them or the other penguin Ambassadors during Penguin Encounter tours at the zoo.

Beginning Jan. 2, the zoo will offer paid penguin encounters daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Penguin encounters are intimate, 20-30 minute private tours with an embassy keeper, special photo opportunities and up-close penguin interaction.

During January and February they will be offered Fridays through Mondays, and after March 1 they will be offered daily. The cost will be $35 for members and $45 for non-members and tickets can be purchased on grounds at the main gate, giraffe feeding station or the train station. Encounters will be limited to eight people per tour and tours are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Maryland Zoo has been a leader in breeding African penguins for over 40 years, winning the prestigious Edward H. Bean Award for the "African Penguin Long-term Propagation Program" from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1996.

The zoo has one of the largest colonies of the birds in North America, with over 60 birds currently residing in the new Penguin Coast exhibit.

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