The Adventure Aquarium in Camden has announced the hatching of their newest African Black-Footed penguin, named “Casanova” in honor of its media debut on Valentine’s Day.
Casanova was hatched on Jan. 11 to parents Kali and Tyson.
Casanova, whose gender is unknown, is doing “very well” according to aquarium officials. When the chick first hatched just a little over a month ago, it was the approximate weight and size of a golf ball, but has already grown to weigh nearly three pounds. In a year, Casanova will be the size of a fully grown African Penguin.
This is the first hatchling for Kali and Tyson, who were paired back in 2009 through the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s African penguin Species Survival Plan, a program that encourages zoos and aquariums to work in concert to help ensure the survival of African Penguins through a scientifically-controlled breeding program. Since it began working with the program in 1998, the Aquarium has successfully bred and raised fourteen African Black footed penguin chicks.
Visitors to the aquarium should be able to see Casanova up close and in person this coming spring, once it has grown large enough to assimilate with the other residents of the Penguin Island exhibit.
For updates, go to http://adventureaquarium.wordpress.com/.
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