Proud penguin parents Lucky and Blackbird look over their young black-footed penguins at the Montgomery Zoo on Friday. The two hatched in late January. (Amanda Sowards - Advertiser)

WANT TO GO?

What: Montgomery Zoo's new two black- footed penguins
When: The chicks -- Pen and Guin -- have just made their official debut this week
Where: Montgomery Zoo, 2301 Coliseum Blvd.
Admission: $10 for adults, $7 for ages 3-12, $9 for ages 65 and older, free for Montgomery Zoo members and ages 2 and younger. Zoo and Mann Museum combo tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and younger
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Information: Call 240-4900 or visit www.montgomeryzoo.com and www.mannmuseum.com

Baby penguin pair makes debut at Montgomery Zoo

By Robyn Bradley Litchfield • rlitchfield@gannett.com • April 12, 2010

Two of the Montgomery Zoo's newest residents -- fuzzy little ones named Pen and Guin -- made their debut this past weekend and delighted visitors of all ages.
Since the eggs were laid in mid-December and hatched in late January, the doting penguin parents have been caring for them. The fact that they are doing so well in central Alabama surprises a lot of visitors, said Steven Pierce, zoo programs services manager.
"The general impression is that penguins are totally cold-weather animals, something you would find in the Arctic -- not in Montgomery, Alabama. But about 75 percent of the world's penguin population is warm-weather, so they are perfectly content being out and about here," Pierce said.
The black-footed penguins are native to the rocky beaches of South Africa and do quite well in central Alabama. They reach breeding maturity typically at 4 years of age, he added.
Penguins breed in nesting colonies with the same mate for life, generally use the same nest every year and typically lay eggs twice a year, with both parents equally sharing the responsibility of attending the nest, he said.
After their initial debut, chicks Pen and Guin will be out daily near the African Elephant exhibit, pending any severe weather conditions or health-related issues.
The zoo currently houses three male and three female penguins. The penguin exhibit is near the double-decker viewing station at the African Elephant exhibit. As they develop, the chicks will join the other penguins in the colony as they wander about the area freely, he said.
At this point, it is too early to determine the gender of each of the chicks, but that doesn't seem to really matter to visitors, he said. They just seem to be enjoying a chance to see the little penguins.
"They're really cute," he said. "And now that they are hatched, they will grow extremely fast.


Video available here at Source