Pittsburgh loves its penguins

Penguin Point: The Latest and Greatest from the National Aviary
By: Debra Diamond Smit
May 27, 2009
Pittsburgh loves its penguins.

We’ve got the Antarctic variety at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The Stanley Cup-winning ones at Mellon Arena, and now an expanded African colony has moved into a beautiful new, public-friendly outdoor space at the National Aviary.

Penguin Point invites the public into the craggy, natural habitat of the African penguin that lives in colonies along the rocky coastline of southwestern Africa. The new $1.7 million project gives the penguins a large swimming pool, warm boulders to pad around on and cozy nesting caves where, hopefully, a few of the romantically inclined will set up house.

“When we first put them in they were a little nervous,” says Erin Estell, project manager for Penguin Point. “They weren’t sure what to do. So we gave them a little shove (into the water) and they’ve been happy ever since. Even Stanley, who doesn’t swim that well, is acting like a real penguin.”

Ah, if life was that easy.

Penguin Point brings the Aviary’s five celebrated penguin celebrities—Stanley, Elvis, Patrick, Simon and Sidney—together with six new penguins, including two that are considered genetically valuable to the species’ existence. All were born in captivity. The hope is that they will become feathered friends, doing what penguins do in the wild: frolic in the water, eat fish, stand erect and waddle awkwardly and, most importantly, make little penguins.

Sydney, who only recently molted into early adulthood, is ahead on attitude, playing sentry, standing guarding outside of one of the caves that he has claimed as his own.

The exhibit gives visitors an up close, nose-to-beak look at their everyday antics, now getting underway. Kids and adults can crawl into the Kids’ ViewTube Tunnel for a peek at the underwater action; a pop-up dome places visitors right in the middle of the action.

The names of the six new recruits are still pending, but we won’t be surprised if there’s a Fleury or Malkin by the end of the week, says Estell. In the meantime, it’s important to note that Patrick, as in The Division, is really a girl who only has eyes for Stanley, as in The Cup. Of the 11 of the penguins, 7 are male and 4 are female.

“The challenge that I see is for our penguins to help kids learn about the impact that human behavior has on wildlife species,” says Steve Sarro, director of animal programs. “Our penguins are ambassadors for their wild cousins who need our help.”

The Aviary is actively involved in the African Penguin Species Survival Plan, a managed breeding program that works to preserve a genetically strong population of African penguins in U.S. zoos. Their wild population, once numbering in the millions, has declined by a drastic 90 percent in the last 100 years. In 2000 the population fell to 150,000; in 2008 to 60,000.

The ecological pressures on the species are many, ranging from severe oil spills in the region, egg harvesting and the overfishing of their food supply. Sarro was active in the recent rescue of 129 oiled African penguins along the southern Namibian coastline last month, an effort organized by the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coast Birds. (SANCCOB)

Penguin Point hopes to show visitors how they can help by eating fish that are harvested in a sustainable manner. It may mean forgoing Chilean Sea Bass, but Pacific Halibut and U.S. farmed Tilapia are on the list. To learn about sustainable fish choices, click here.

“Pittsburgh loves its penguins,” Sarro says. “Our hope is to teach Pittsburgh to support sustainable fisheries.”

Penguin Point is part of the Aviary's $26 million, multiphase, multiyear project that will include architectural renovations and a major facelift by SPRINGBOARD Architecture Communication Design LLC. The penguin’s space was designed by Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc.

Source:
http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/penguinsaviary0527.aspx