Kelly Tarlton’s penguins play ice football!
10-Apr 17:17
New Zealand’s only King and Gentoo penguin populations have become a pack of show offs.
Staff at an Auckland animal attraction have introduced a new programme to enrich the birds' social lives. It has also sharpened their sporting skills.
At midday in the penguin enclosure it is not time not for lunch, but for a game of good old fashion ice football.
A feisty beginning sees the ball in need of an early throw in. It is the King's team setting the waddle off for a piece of the action.
That is when the old no hands rule proves a bit of a problem.
Another throw-in and the Kings again dominate play with a head butt.
It was a clever manoeuvre from the Kings who forced the Gentoos to have to swim for it.
Back on land and the game is coming to an end, the Kings' team now more interested in fending off the bystanders.
While the Kings gloat in a clear win, there is a serious side to the daily football match.
“It gives them different opportunities, different behavioural options that they can have,” explains Laura Seaman of Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World. “[It] keeps their minds active and working all the time.”
The activity is something that is now on show for the public. It allows children to find a common ground with the animals.
While a game of football can help humanise the eighty-strong sub-Antarctic population, it is really only done to help them maintain the social skills they would have learned in the wild.
Although there are no worries for the King penguin population in the wild, the Gentoo penguins are near under threat - all the more reason to stimulate them and keep the population growing
It seems to be working in here, with Easter bringing on three hatchings.
They are an extremely protective bunch though, so there will be no patting the newborns.
“Our youngest one is about two weeks of age at the moment, so he’s just starting to venture out from his mummy’s tummy,” explains Seaman.
Meanwhile, it is dad doing the dribbling.
Story and image courtesy of 3 News NZ @
http://www.3news.co.nz/Portals/0-Articles/99328/panguin180.jpg
Accompanying video @
http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/Lifestyle/tabid/372/articleID/99328/cat/59/Default.aspx#video
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