Vote to Name Baby Penguins at The Maryland Zoo

December 5, 2014

Photo courtesy of The Maryland Zoo, Jeffrey F. Bill

LANHAM, Md. (WNEW) — Two African penguin chicks, the first to be hatched at the Maryland Zoo’s new Penguin Coast exhibit, were born in October, the zoo announced today. “We hoped that moving the penguin colony in the beginning of breeding season would not impact egg laying this year, so we are delighted to welcome these first two chicks,” said Jen Kottyan, avian collection and conservation manager. “These chicks are not only the first to hatch this season; they are also being raised as part of our Animal Ambassador program. That means they will be traveling far and wide in the Zoomobile on education outreach programs.”

The Zoo is now asking the public to help them name the babies. The choices are:

• Shelly and Sandy – for the variety of beaches where they live in South Africa
• Nellie and Mandie – for Nelson Mandela
• Daisy and Rose – flower names to compliment current penguin Lilly
• Dawn and Hope – Dawn for the dishwashing detergent that is used to clean wild penguins caught in oil spills and Hope for the Cape of Good Hope, home to the Boulders Penguin Colony.

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. “Many of the African penguins previously bred at the Zoo now inhabit zoo and aquarium exhibits around the world,” Kottyan says.

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