Photographer Neil Ever
Osborne photographed king penguins in the Falkland Islands at the height
of breeding season.
(Neil Ever Osborne)
Photographer Neil Ever Osborn hopes that his work helps save the species
By
Amy Crawford
Smithsonian Magazine
Its unmistakable shape and crisp color scheme make the penguin one of nature’s most effective ambassadors—a fact not lost on Neil Ever Osborne,
whose photograph of king penguins in the Falkland Islands emphasizes
the sinuous lines and sculptural form of this second-largest penguin
species. “My primary focus was the geometry of these animals,” Osborne
says. This colony of kings, which the Toronto-based photographer visited
at the height of breeding season in February, exists at the northern
extreme of the species’ range, where warming oceans threaten the krill
that form the base of the marine food chain—and thus threaten the
penguins, which mostly eat fish. Osborne is planning a speaking tour
with the photos to spur conservation efforts. The scientific argument
for tempering our impact on the planet is crucial, he says, but he
prefers reaching out “in a way that’s less about statistics and pie
charts...and more about heartbeats and goosebumps.”
EDINBURGH Zoo has welcomed its latest intake – a group of endangered gentoo penguin chicks.
The gentoo penguins have so far produced 22 chicks, which began hatching last month, at the city zoo.
A gentoo penguin chick is weighed. Picture: SWNS
The penguins are listed as “near threatened” on the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List because of human
activity.
In the wild the birds are at risk from illegal egg collection, oil exploration and tourists, which affect breeding pairs.
As the chicks grow, the keepers observe their weight gains to make sure they’re getting enough food.
A gentoo penguin at Edinburgh Zoo's penguin pool. Picture: SWNS
“The chicks are all growing so quickly,” said Dawn Nicoll, Senior Penguin Keeper at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.
“Whilst
some are still quite small, weighing just over 500g, the chicks which
hatched at the beginning of May are getting really big, weighing as much
as 3kg.”
The penguin breeding season began in early March with the annual placing of the nest rings and pebbles into Penguins Rock.
Romantic male penguins then sought out the best looking and smoothest pebbles to ‘propose’ to their potential mates.
Dawn said: “By weighing the chicks regularly we can monitor their health and make sure they are getting enough food.
“Once
the chicks get a bit older they will leave the nest site and join a
crèche away from their parents, where they will learn all the essential
penguin skills such as how to feed and swim.”
A focal point of Edinburgh Zoo for over a century, the birds live in the largest outdoor penguin pool in Europe.
They
were one of the first species to arrive at the Scottish Zoo, paving the
way for global recognition when they were the first outside the
southern hemisphere to breed king penguins.
The world famous
daily Penguin Parade began in 1951 when a keeper accidentally left the
gate open and the penguins went for a short walk and then returned to
their enclosure.
Edinburgh keepers still open the gate every day at 2.15pm and birds waddle out of their enclosure to the delight of visitors.
A pair of baby penguins is capturing
hearts at the Tennessee Aquarium. Gentoo penguins “Biscuit” and “Blue”
are the proud parents of not one, but TWO new penguin chicks. The fluffy
babies, hatched in early June, are both being raised on exhibit by
their parents.
Acting like toddlers, the baby penguins are already exploring their nest.
As
any mom or dad would agree, becoming a parent twice in such a short
span of time is certainly a challenge. But Aquarium experts say Biscuit
and Blue are seasoned parents and have been doing a great job of raising
the rather vocal duo. “This is the first time we’ve had a penguin pair
successfully raise two chicks without much intervention from staff and
volunteers,” said senior aviculturist Loribeth Lee. “We know the best
environment for a new penguin chick is in the nest with their parents.
But in past years, when any of our couples have had two eggs hatch,
we’ve ended up hand raising one chick off exhibit or introducing a set
of surrogate parents. So far these two are growing very well thanks to
all the hard work by Biscuit and Blue.”
Last year Biscuit and Blue served as surrogate parents to another chick.
When
Bug and Big T’s first egg hatched in 2015, they were having difficulty
keeping both their chick and their second egg underneath themselves. So
the second egg was moved into Biscuit and Blue’s nest since they did not
have any viable eggs last year. Aquarium aviculturists think the extra
practice helped prepare them to be such great parents to their own
chicks this year.
Not only are the two new chicks at healthy
weights – an important indicator tracked by penguin keepers – but they
are actually a little large for their age, and one of the chicks is
noticeably chubbier than his or her sibling. Keepers can also tell them
apart by the bigger chick’s lighter coloring and bolder personality.
Lee
says while the chicks are growing fast, they are not quite ready for
life outside the nest. “They are both interested in exploring the nest
when they think we are not around, but as soon as you come close they
still hide their heads under mom or dad.”
Family bonds are very
important among all penguin species. Aviculturists are seeing this play
out in a new way with the new Gentoo chicks. “Something we noticed when
the chicks were smaller was that any time both parents were in the nest,
mom and dad would both sit on one chick each. That’s pretty unique. We
haven’t seen a penguin family do that here before,” said Lee.
Aquarium guests can view the chicks in their nest near the left side of the Aquarium’s Penguins’ Rock exhibit.
The rock nest is surrounded by acrylic panels to keep the chicks safe
and block any curious neighbors who might want to peek in on the family.
Aquarium experts will also point out the chicks during daily penguin programs at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.
June 25th, 2016 By: Stephan Rockefeller, EastIdahoNews.com
IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park is lucky to have a
number of rare animals on display — including the African Penguin. This week, EastIdahoNews.com met up with Sunny Katseanes, Education Curator for the Idaho Falls Zoo and learned quite a bit about this endangered species. Right now 17 of the 800 African penguins in captivity are right here in Idaho Falls.
The Idaho Falls Zoo takes part in the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums Penguin Species Survival Program. The zoo has sent offspring
from the breeding of its penguins to 17 other zoos and aquariums and has
received penguins from eight different institutions.
Currently, there are nine penguin eggs at the zoo, which are due to
hatch any day. Zoo staff don’t know if all nine are viable, because once
the penguins lay their eggs staff don’t interfere or check them.
To learn more about the penguins check out our interviews in the video above.
Zoo guests can meet the penguins at the Idaho Falls Zoo though the Penguin Interaction Program. Through the program, guests can meet the penguins, touch and interact with these rare birds.
Additionally, the Idaho Falls Zoo is hosting World Oceans Day on
Saturday, June 25 from 1 p.m. 4 p.m. They invite guests to participate
in water-conservation-themed crafts, games and activities for the whole
family. The event is included with paid zoo admission or TPZS
membership.
Cornwall's Seal Sanctuary is raising money for a penguin conservation centre in Punta San Juan.
The Gweek charity is holding a special Penguin Week from 25th June to 3rd July.
All week the Sanctuary will be educating guests all about their Peruvian feathered friends - the Humboldt Penguin.
The Sanctuaries Colony of Humboldt penguins were all bred at their sister SEA LIFE attractions apart from two of the Colony, Waddles and Godfrey, who came to the Sanctuary from Seaview Wildlife Encounter on the Isle of Wight due to it closing down after 44 years.
These endearing and sometimes comical creatures come from the coasts of Chile and Peru where there are estimated to be fewer than 10,000 pairs still surviving.
Colonies like the Sanctuaries may one day provide a vital lifeline for this endangered species. Their disappearance would certainly be a tragic loss to the animal kingdom.
The Sanctuary will be having some exciting talks scheduled throughout the day giving guests the opportunity to learn all about the Colony of Humboldt Penguins at the Sanctuary.
There will also be plenty of activities to take part in, from Waddle Racing to a fantastic Penguin Trail for guests to follow around the Sanctuary.
Tamara Cooper, Curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, said: "We are really excited to be having a week all about our wonderful Penguins. Spreading awareness is what we are all about at the Sanctuary so it's a fantastic opportunity to educate our guests as well as having a bit of fun!"
The Sanctuary will be raising money for the Humboldt Penguin Conservation Centre in Punta San Juan throughout the week.
An artificially bred southern rockhopper penguin is shown to the
public at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in Osaka, western Japan, on June
23, 2016. The southern rockhopper penguin is on the Red List of
Threatened Species issued by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature. (Kyodo)
Baby little penguin inside the office at Melbourne zoo after he injured his wing on March 13, 2015. Photo: Getty Images
An EPA investigation has concluded that
two little penguins and about 12 toadfish that washed ashore at Altona
beach on Monday night had most likely died of natural causes.
EPA officers tested the water quality after a member of the public reported the dead animals.
Acting metropolitan manager Danny Childs said wildlife deaths weren’t always caused by pollution.
“EPA officers found no evidence of pollution at the beach, so we
believe these deaths were most likely due to natural causes,” he said.
“Fish and penguin deaths can occur due to range of factors including
changes in water temperature and weather conditions, which may have
occurred here.
“This community member did the right thing – prompt reporting
increases our ability to identify whether a pollution event has occurred
and helps EPA minimise any environmental harm.”
In August, 2014, 30 little penguins washed ashore at Altona beach and
an investigation found they had become caught in a commercial fishing
net.
The Department of Environment and Primary Industries interviewed a
fisherman operating in the area after he was reported by a member of the
public.
No enforcement action was taken as the deaths were deemed accidental.
People can make a report to the EPA by calling 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) or via its website.
Some of the penguins at the Kansas City Zoo will hang out outside Saturday morning.
Courtesy Photo: Kansas City Zoo
Yes,
it's going to be a warm weekend, but at 11 o'clock Saturday morning,
you'll be treated to something special if you're at the Kansas City Zoo.
Some of the zoo's penguins will be parading around the Helzberg Penguin
Plaza, greeting guests.
"The birds actually seem to like it,"
says Director of Zoological Operations, Sean Putney."When we go in to
get them, they don't quite smile, but when we walk toward the door, they
follow us immediately."
The zoo does this regularly. The
penguins really kind of parade around, going in and out of their
exhibit, sometimes stopping to gaze at the odd humans, Putney says.
We often mistake all penguins for cold-weather birds.
"Especially those of us who grew up with Chilly Willy
and much colder Antarctic or sub-Antarctic animals," he says, "but
there are quite a few species of penguins that are used to the heat.”
Take the Humbolt penguin. The zoo has 16 of them and they're native to coastal Peru and Chile.
"They actually do fine in our temperate climate,"Putney says.
These
guys have an indoor-outdoor habitat at the zoo (although not to worry,
it's not really outdoors, and it is cooled). They're separate from the
cold-weather penguins at the zoo, who live in a climate-controlled 45 degree habitat.
If they notice any heavy breathing or ... well, sweating ... Putney says handlers will take the birds inside.
Some conservationists say endangered birds at the South African
reserve take priority, but others argue that locally the big cat is
rarer
Some 33 penguins were killed by a leopard at a nature reserve near Cape Town.
Photograph: Morgan Trimble
Morgan Trimble
A leopard killed dozens of endangered penguins at a nature reserve
outside Cape Town earlier this month, prompting a renewed debate about
how best to protect South Africa’s threatened species.
Ranger Cuan McGeorge found the bloodied, lifeless bodies of 33
African penguins on 11 June scattered across Stony Point, a reserve at
the sleepy holiday town of Betty’s Bay that protects one of just four
mainland breeding sites.
Authorities were quick to identify a suspect — a roving leopard, itself a threatened species persecuted for centuries.
The Stony Point culprit consumed just two of the 33 penguins it
killed, and a local intensive care unit for coastal birds is treating a
surviving penguin with puncture wounds to the neck. Cape Nature, the
provincial managing authority, said there was no doubt a leopard was
responsible.
A leopard at Stony Point. Photograph: Van As Jordaan/Cape Nature
“This is what we call surplus killing,” said Dr Bool Smuts, director
of the Landmark Foundation, a conservation organisation. “It happens in
unnatural settings when prey species are confined and defenceless.”
The penguin deaths are distressing for locals and conservationists.
Penguins first colonised Stony Point in 1982 from declining populations
on nearby islands, and the colony’s growth to more than 2,000 breeding
pairs has been hard-won.
Charismatic penguins nesting between boulders and beach houses are
now a quirky tourist draw and local favourite. They also contribute
substantially to the global population that, in 2009, was down to just
26,000 breeding pairs, 20% of the 1950s numbers and a tiny fraction of
the 1.5-3 million birds estimated for the early 20th century. Penguins compete with commercial fisheries for their favourite foods —sardines and anchovies.
“It’s always tricky when threatened species come into conflict,” says
Prof Peter Ryan, director of the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. “However, in this case, it
should be fairly clear that the benefit of conserving the only growing
African penguin population outweighs the importance of a single
leopard.”
Leopards have lost 75%
of their global range, but across Africa they likely outnumber endemic
African penguins two-to-one. On the IUCN red list, “endangered” penguins
trump the merely “threatened” leopard.
Locally, however, the leopard is rarer. “The adult leopard population
in these provinces [Western Cape and Eastern Cape] is 500-700,” said
Smuts. “They’re critically endangered here and continue to be hammered
by human-wildlife conflict. I’m not surprised the leopard took some
birds. It’s completely natural behaviour.”
Guy Balme of conservation group Panthera said: “As long as there’s
other suitable prey available, leopards and other carnivores can be
discouraged.”
Cape Nature is targeting the leopard’s sense of smell and
territoriality. They hope pepper spray, lion scat brought in from a
nearby sanctuary, and scent-marking left by dog patrols will deter the
leopard, which hasn’t been seen since the attack.
African penguins on the beach at Stony Point next to asign about leopard danger. Photograph: Morgan Trimble
Many locals sympathise with the leopard and don’t want to see it
harmed or captured. Twin sisters Rene Kaljee and Renette Stone share
their dream home’s garden at Stony Point with the growing penguin
colony, which also happens to be smelly and noisy. “How many penguins
can the reserve sustain?” asks Rene. “I hope they don’t find the
leopard. It sounds crass to say, but let nature take its course.”
Renette adds: “We love the penguins, but the colony is growing out of the sanctuary.”
According to local realtor Karon Scholefield, residents love Betty’s
Bay for its rustic charm and the wildlife that often wanders through.
“To be privileged to possibly spot a leopard on my walks, that would be
awesome. Just knowing there is one around, for as long as he chooses, is
really very special.”
Thanks to the 2006 movie Happy Feet, the role of male penguin vocalizations in attracting mates is well known. (The movie focused on Emperor penguins, but males of many penguin species use calls to get the girl.) The purpose of this film was to entertain, not to explain why females find the calls of some males more attractive than others, but a recent study explored female mate choice in Adelie penguins.
Female penguins find parenting ability desirable in mates. Females want males that will make good dads, and the calls allow females to choose males accordingly. That’s because calls reveal how much fat males have stored up, and the extreme energetic demands on penguin dads mean that males with more fat are more likely to be successful dads. Female penguins choose pudgy males over lean ones. (I know, there are plenty of men reading this and thinking, “If only . . . !”)
The more energy males have stored, the better care they can provide to their offspring, and superior care increases the likelihood that the young will survive. After laying her eggs, a female Adelie penguin returns to the ocean, leaving the male to guard and protect the eggs until she returns. For the first two weeks, males perform the majority of parental duties, so they have little opportunity to eat. While caring for their young, penguin dads can lose up to a fifth of their body weight.
Female penguins cannot tell how fat males are simply by looking at them. Males can vary their appearance by fluffing up their feathers and changing their posture. It is to males’ advantage to attempt to fool females into thinking they have more fat than they do, but for females, it’s vital to assess males’ fat stores accurately.
Penguin calls are honest indicators of energy stores, according to a recent study by a team of researchers who spent three months on a remote island in Antarctica where half a million Adelie penguins spend the summer. These scientists weighed many males, recorded their calls, and noted how successful they were at attracting mates and at rearing chicks.
One part of the call was associated with high mating and reproductive success. Males who maintained a steady frequency during an extended chattering in the middle of the call were most attractive to females and were chosen first. These males were also heavier and more successful as dads. Researchers believe that the fat around the voice box stabilizes the calls. As males lose weight while caring for chicks, their calls become less consistent in pitch.
Males can’t lie about their portliness because their calls reveal the truth. That’s why the females choose mates based on their calls and are impressed by calls produced by males with larger fat stores. While the female penguins find the calls attractive, one researcher described the sound males make as a cross between a donkey and a stalled car. To each her own!
I hope dads of all sizes had a happy Father’s Day!
Karen B. London, PhD, is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, author and an Adjunct Faculty in NAU’s Department of Biological Sciences.
Cape Town - A Cape leopard has killed 33 endangered African penguins at the Stony Point penguin colony in Betty’s Bay, forcing CapeNature to increased nocturnal patrols and introduce additional scent deterrents in the area.
On Saturday, 11 June 2016, the leopard was spotted near the colony where 33 birds were seen dead, and left one injured. A surviving chick and five penguin eggs were also found at empty nest sites in the area.
The injured penguin, chick and eggs, were sent to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) for rehabilitation, rearing and incubation.
SANCCOB confirmed the wounds on the birds were consistent with those caused by a leopard.
Following the incident, CapeNature has been conducting daytime vigilance and nocturnal patrols at the colony by using scent deterrents such as lion scat and pepper spray to discourage the leopard from returning to the site.
Dog patrols are conducted randomly to aid in defensive scent marking, while camera traps have been set up in locations to remotely monitor occurrences.
Stony Point is one of the largest breeding colonies of endangered African penguins in the world and has been showing a measurable increase in breeding pairs, especially in comparison to declining populations of most island colonies.
Back in 2010, when the African penguin was declared endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, there were only about 1 244 pairs, but today it is home to over 2 388 breeding pairs.
Since its establishment in 1982 when the first active nest site was recorded, Stony Point has continued to house breeding pairs of African penguin, despite a period between the 1980s and 1990s when more than 100 birds were predated by a leopard.
CapeNature took over the management of the colony in June 2014 and will embrace the adaptive management process to find a best practice resolution for the colony.
The adult korora was moulting when it was found by a member of the public. Photo: Supplied
A little blue penguin found lethargic and emaciated at Moa Pt in Wellington has been returned to the wild after Wellington Zoo staff nursed it back to health.
The adult korora was moulting when it was found by a member of the public.
Once a year, little blues moult to replace any worn out feathers. Over two to three weeks they lose their waterproofing and are unable to swim and hunt for food, so they need to ensure they have enough body fat to last.
The emaciated penguin was taken to The Nest Te Kohanga, Wellington Zoo's native wildlife and animal hospital.
"Through quality food and fluids, we were able to build up the bird's body condition so it was able to complete its moult and be ready for release back to the wild," senior veterinarian Dr. Baukje Lenting said.
"Since being cared for at The Nest Te Kohanga, the korora has completed its moult, regained its waterproofing and is now in a really good condition.
As part of the treatment and care for the korora, it was fed salmon daily and given plenty of time in our salt-water pool to regain feather waterproofing."
Dr Lenting said the zoo was helping to protect little blues, which were considered nationally vulnerable by the Department of Conservation.
"We work together with the Department of Conservation as well as Forest and Bird's Places for Penguins to help protect their species."
Dr Lenting said the community can help in protecting the korora by keeping cats inside at night and keeping dogs on a lead when out and about along the coast.
Opal the penguin turns 39 on Tuesday. To celebrate, the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium will serve up an ice-block cake filled with treats at 10:30 a.m.
HENRY DOORLY ZOO & AQUARIUM
Zoo visitors are invited to join Tuesday's party and sign an oversized birthday card at the African penguin exhibit.
Posted: Monday, June 20, 2016
By Chris Peters / World-Herald staff writer
The zoo has the oldest living female African penguin in North America. And tomorrow, she's having a birthday party.Opal the penguin turns 39 on Tuesday. To celebrate, the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium will serve up an ice-block cake filled with treats at 10:30 a.m.
Zoo visitors are invited to join the party and sign an oversized birthday card at the African penguin exhibit, which is not in the aquarium but is north of the Desert Dome behind Red Barn Park. Visitors can bring their own cards for Opal as well.
Opal was born in 1977 at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and came to Omaha in 1981. She's one of 21 African penguins at the zoo and one of 800 at institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
A gentoo penguin chick being weighed. Picture: Katie Paton/Edinburgh Zoo
A TOTAL of 22 gentoo penguin chicks have hatched at Edinburgh Zoo so far this season.
The first chicks hatched on 5 May and the rest have all slowly started to peek their beaks out of their shells since then.
A gentoo penguin chick being weighed. Picture: Katie Paton/Edinburgh Zoo
As the tiny chicks are growing into adorably fluffy youngsters, the keepers perform regular weigh-ins to ensure the chicks are growing well, are healthy and are getting enough food. The chicks are weighed daily until they reach a weight of 500g, after which they are weighed every second day until they reach 2.5kg, and then once a week until they join the crèche.
Dawn Nicoll, Senior Penguin Keeper at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “The chicks are all growing so quickly. Whilst some are still quite small, weighing just over 500g, the chicks which hatched at the beginning of May are getting really big, weighing as much as 3kg.
“By weighing the chicks regularly we can monitor their health and make sure they are getting enough food. Once the chicks get a bit older they will leave the nest site and join a crèche away from their parents, where they will learn all the essential penguin skills such as how to feed and swim.”
Gentoo penguin chicks in the nest. Picture: Katie Paton/Edinburgh Zoo
The penguin breeding season at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo began in early March with the annual placing of the nest rings and pebbles into Penguins Rock, before the male penguins sought out the best looking and smoothest pebbles to ‘propose’ to their potential mates. The first eggs were laid over Easter weekend.
Due to the decline in their populations, gentoo penguins are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Reasons for their decline include increased illegal egg collection and oil exploration around the Falkland Islands, as well as disturbance from tourism which is leading to decreased breeding productivity.
Penguins have been an integral part of RZSS Edinburgh Zoo for over 100 years and the Zoo has the largest outdoor penguin pool in Europe. They were one of the first species that arrived and the Zoo and the Society became world renowned when they were the first outside the southern hemisphere to breed king penguins. The world famous daily Penguin Parade began in 1951 when a keeper accidentally left the gate open and the penguins went for a short walk and then returned to their enclosure – keepers still open the gate every day at 2.15pm and birds who voluntarily want to take part go for a short walk outside their enclosure.
A gentoo penguin chick being weighed. Picture: Katie Paton/Edinburgh Zoo
Eight gentoo penguin chicks have hatched at Belfast Zoo.
Belfast Zoo has welcomed its first penguin chicks of the year.
Excited keepers at the zoo announced the successful hatching of eight fuzzy chicks, who have not yet been named.
The babies are nestled in with their parents at the penguin enclosure, where visitors can see them enjoying their fish suppers.
“The
penguin breeding season started way back in February. Around that time
every year, we install nest rings for the penguins,” senior keeper
Raymond Robinson said.
Eight gentoo penguin chicks have hatched at Belfast Zoo.
“The male gentoo penguins then set to work to fill the nests with
pebbles and stones. The nests are so prized by females that often male
penguins can obtain a mate by offering the female a nice pebble.”
Female penguins can lay up to two eggs which are then incubated by the male and female birds for approximately 30-40 days.
Mr Robinson explained that because of the recent spot of warm
weather, zoo keepers installed umbrellas and sprinklers into the
enclosure to protect the parents and eggs from the heat.
There are 17 species of penguin in the world, two of which – gentoo and rockhopper – can be found at Dublin Zoo.
Eight gentoo penguin chicks have hatched at Belfast Zoo.
As well as the Antarctic, gentoos can be found in warmer climates
such as the Faulklands, South Georgia, Kerguelen, Marion, Macuarie and
other remote islands.
Mr Robinson warned that all penguins face
increasing threats from marine pollution, habitat loss, global warming
and over-fishing.
POWELL, OH (WCMH) — Fritz a Humboldt penguin died at the age of 20, four years past his life expectancy.
According to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Fritz died Thursday morning after suffering from heart disease.
Fritz was a father to six chicks and a grandfather to another.
The zoo says he was a magnificent bird and will be greatly missed.
NEW ARRIVAL: The Gentoo penguin chick born at The Deep is doing well
It is only a few days old but already The Deep's first Gentoo penguin chick has a healthy appetite. This first video of the fragile youngster shows it is doing well with proud parents Nessie and Shackleton doing a sterling job.
Excited staff from the aquarium announced the successful hatching of the chick on Saturday. Nessie and Shackleton still have another egg which could hatch this a week. And they are not the only expectant parents as Leo and Diane also have two eggs which could hatch at the end of the week.
Aquarist Lloyd Wilkinson has been closely monitoring the eggs and chick. He said: "We have been checking the eggs closely and we noticed the egg start to hatch on Friday.
"We thought it would be Sunday before the chick emerged but it happened much more quickly. It has been very exciting and this is a big thing for us. It has been emotional but a really nice experience.
"We have been working closely with other institutions including Edinburgh Zoo."
FEATHERWEIGHT: The tiny Gentoo chick.
Despite watching them closely, the team at The Deep have been taking a hands-off approach. Mr Wilkinson explained: "Sometimes chicks need assistance but, in this case, we have let the parents incubate the egg naturally and we have also let them feed the chick by themselves as the parents are doing very well.
"The chick seems to be in good condition and is at an average weight."
The chick will remain unnamed for now, at least until the staff know its sex. Mr Wilkinson said: "We don't know the sex of the chick yet. It is very difficult to determine so we need to carry out a DNA test.
"We have a couple of names in mind which we are keeping under wraps for now."
TINY: The Gentoo chick at The Deep.
The chick will grow at a phenomenal rate and will be independent within about three months. Mr Wilkinson said: "The parents will continue feeding the chick which will gain weight quickly. We can then also assist.
"After a couple of months it will be a similar size to its parents and then it will have to look after itself. We try to keep the gene pool healthy so either the chicks or other birds will form part of an exchange programme." Penguins first moved into The Deep in March 2014 but none of their two resident couples had previously produced a chick. But when Nessie and Shackleton, who moved into the aquarium from Calgary Zoo, in Canada, were seen preparing a nest and laying two eggs, staff started to prepare for a new arrival.
Both parents spent around 30 to 35 days rearing the egg by sitting on it and incubating it before it hatched.
There are currently six males and five female Gentoos at The Deep.
A little blue penguin spotted at Caroline Bay. The birds spending the winter in Timaru could be a first
Caroline Bay is hosting a little blue penguin colony during winter which is thought to be a first for the South Canterbury area.
Oamaru-based penguin expert Philippa Agnew suspects ample food source and mild weather have lured the Little Blues to Timaru for the season.
The birds love company, she said, and if there have been more foraging around the bay, that could convince others to stay.
As Agnew spoke to the Timaru little blue penguin group on Tuesday night, the vocal birds screeched and trilled outside the Marine Parade building.
Timaru Little Blue Penguin group representative Peter Bennett said the group formed two years ago because people were harassing the penguins, whose conservation status is declining.
The group's volunteers protect the penguins from tourists and visitors during the busy summer nights.
"Some people don't have respect for wildlife so we've got to make sure they're looked after," Bennett said.
During summer there was about 12 pairs of birds, and on the night of the heavy seas on May 25 there was five pairs of birds.
Agnew said heavy seas have a huge impact on the birds, which would leave the shore and stay away, returning weeks later.
"The birds, being a visual predator, struggle in cloudy water."
Depending on the time of year, a storm can also impact on penguins breeding season.
Members of the Timaru group reported seeing two pairs of birds in the roped off area recently.
Bennett believed the roped area made the penguins feel safe.
"It gives them a bit of their own space ... It's the first time we might have them over winter ... that's exciting."
Timaru District Council installed a rope barrier around an area of rocks between the beach and Marine Parade in 2014, Department of Conservation community ranger George Iles said in an email.
"Visitors to the area are asked to stay off the rocks so that any disturbance to the penguins is reduced and the penguins can easily and safely access their nests in the boulder pile," Iles said.
The barrier gave visitors "a good view" of the penguins arriving ashore each night without putting the penguins under pressure.
Iles praised the volunteers work, saying in addition to protecting the birds, they answered tourists and visitors questions.
Agnew said the penguins at the two colonies in Oamaru were getting ready to lay eggs around the end of June.
Little Blue Penguins can 'double brood', meaning they can lay two sets of eggs per season.
Agnew's Ph.D. looked at the foraging habits of the birds using a combination of GPS tracking transponders, and devices which can measure the depth the birds dive to.
The Penguin Camera is located on Torgersen Island (64°46’S, 64°04’W), off the coast of Anvers Island and less than a mile from Palmer Station. Torgersen Island is home to a colony of Adélie penguins numbering approximately 2,500. This camera is seasonal and operates primarily from October to February, the Adélie breeding season. The camera is solar-powered and may sometimes experience brief outages due to inclement weather. School classrooms and other educational demonstrations will often take control of the camera, moving it to gain better views of the colony.
Photographer Neil Ever
Osborne photographed king penguins in the Falkland Islands at the height
of breeding season.
(Neil Ever Osborne)
