Melbourne Aquarium unveils new Antarctic penguins
Posted Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:09pm AEDT
Australia's first collection of sub-antarctic penguins have gone on show at a new $28-million exhibition at the Melbourne Aquarium.
The collection features five majestic king penguins keeping a watchful eye over 13 other gentoo penguins.
Tristen Bird, the aquarium's bird co-ordinator says the gentoo penguins are extremely inquisitive and active.
"They have an enormous level of energy when they get up in the morning and really they are on the go all day long," he said.
He says the king penguins, with a splash of red around their throats are regal, majestic and reserved.
"They truly are the kings of the penguin world. They're a little bit more, I guess standoffish than their gentoo friends."
The penguins have been in Melbourne for two months and have just finished their quarantine period.
The animals were bred in captivity and have never actually lived in the Antarctic.
The enclosure is kept at below zero temperatures and tonnes of snow will be created daily to make the animals feel at home.
Story and pictures from ABC Australia @
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/26/2430283.htm
Frosty reception for Melbourne Aquarium's penguin display
Geoff Strong
November 26, 2008 - 5:34PM
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Melbourne Aquarium's new penguin exhibit, which is meant to mirror a slice of Antarctica and requires a tonne of fresh snow a day, has received a frosty reception.
Opened today, the $28 million showpiece, which houses Australia's only collection of King and Gentoo penguins, has been accused of breaking an undertaking to animal welfare groups.
Animals Australia claims the aquarium has abandoned a planning deal with Melbourne City Council - made before the establishment opened in 2000 - that penguins or seals would not be exhibited.
The animal welfare group's executive director Glenys Oogjes said she was terribly disappointed.
"Now matter how much they have spent, penguins swim hundreds of kilometres in search of food. Putting them in an enclosure sends entirely the wrong message," she said.
"It is not educational, it is entertainment."
The exhibit has doubled the footprint of the aquarium and includes a temperature controlled environment, a 100,000 litre pool and a light cycle that changes to replicate the short winter days and very long summer days of the Antarctic seasons.
The aquarium's management says the exhibit was installed under the supervision of the RSPCA and changes were made on their recommendations.
Communications Manager Daniel Petrillo denied any non-penguin agreement had been reached with Animals Australia or any other group.
"Absolutely not. We had no agreement not to exhibit penguins, seals or anything else.
"The only agreement we had was not to exhibit the little blue penguins so as not to compete with Phillip Island.
"We have gone with the advice of the leading animal welfare body in Australia and we have their written endorsement. In business you never say never to anything."
But the RSPCA's national president Dr Hhugh Wirth denied any written agreement had been given. He said his organisation had looked at plans and given recommendations.
"We will do an inspection next month," he said.
"We thought we might object to the exhibit in principle, but in the end we are reasonably happy about it all."
The exhibit includes five 95 centimetre tall King Penguins and 17 of the 85 centimetre Gentoos. All were captive bred in a New Zealand zoo. The aquarium expects 900,000 visitors a year.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/national/frosty-reception-for-melbourne-aquariums-penguin-display-20081126-6ind.html
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