More random thoughts about bartending
11 years ago
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Same-sex penguin pair fascinates zookeepers
Love is in the air... male African penguins Buddy and Pedro are exhibiting signs of mating behaviour.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but their keepers have noticed the two are inseparable, and perhaps most telling, they’re showing signs of mating behaviours.
There are other cases of gay penguins — zoos in New York, Japan, Germany and Sea World Orlando have seen examples.
As part of an experiment a few years ago, Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at New York’s Central Park zoo, incubated an egg together and raised the chick, named Tango, after she hatched. A children’s book about them called And Tango Makes Three was a smash best seller.
But in Toronto, Buddy and Pedro’s relationship, however you describe it, is destined to come to an end soon because they have a duty. They have top-notch genes, so the zoo intends to separate them from each other and pair them with females for breeding.
Given that African penguins are endangered, the move falls within a species survival plan among zoos.
Buddy, 20, and Pedro, 10, are in Toronto as part of the popular African penguin exhibit that opened at the zoo in May. The two, bred in captivity, were part of a group of 12 penguins — six male, six female — that came to Toronto from zoos in the U.S.
Buddy and Pedro arrived from Toledo, Ohio, where they formed a connection as members of a bachelor flock.
Their relationship, referred to as “pair bonding’’ in zoo speak, continued after they arrived here, say their zoo keepers. Scientists don’t use the words gay or straight when it comes to sexual orientation in animals.
During the day all 12 penguins generally swim and frolic together in their enclosure, which includes a massive pool with underwater windows for the public to view.
But at night Buddy and Pedro pair off together. Every night.
“They do courtship and mating behaviours that females and males would do,’’ one keeper said in an interview.
Those behaviours include making a “braying’’ sound, almost like a donkey, as a mating call. They defend their territory, preen each other, and are constantly standing alone together. In fact when the Star visited the exhibit this week Buddy emerged from the water, followed a few moments later by Pedro. The two huddled together for quite some time.
Their relationship is somewhat of a delicate issue for the keepers to discuss with outsiders. But they’ve all noticed the pair’s bond, and talk about it among themselves.
“This is all new for us,’’ said another keeper, pointing out that the zoo hasn’t had African penguins on display since 1993.
“It’s a complicated issue, but they seem to be in a loving relationship of some sort,’’ says Joe Torzsok, chair of the Toronto zoo board.
It’s not unusual for some species of animals to exhibit homosexual tendencies. Giraffes, some dolphins and some monkeys are known to form same-sex bonds. The case of the Central Park penguins was similar to one at a zoo in Germany where two male penguins did the same thing.
Native to South Africa, the African penguin population has dropped significantly, from millions centuries ago. The animals are declining by a rate of about 2 per cent a year, leading to worries about their long-term sustainability on Earth.
By the late 1990s their population had recovered slightly, with about 224,000 in existence.
Currently the major threats to these penguins include oil pollution and competition from commercial fisheries for their natural food supply.
Penguin quest leads to Manila
By: Jeannette I. Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
RARE
BIRDS. American Ambassador Harry Thomas entices a penguin with fresh
fish at the Manila Ocean Park’s Trails to Antarctica walk-through
exhibit on Friday. It features nine Humboldt penguins, the only ones in
the country, which can be viewed through a glass wall by guests. Behind
is presidential nephew James “Bimby” Aquino Yap being held by a security
man as they try to catch the attention of another penguin. LYN RILLON
The Manila Ocean Park can now boast of housing the first-ever and only penguin habitat in the Philippines—and to be there is to be near the coldest, driest place on the planet.
At Friday’s launch of the “Trails to Antarctica: The Penguin Quest,” visitors were treated to four educational walkthrough zones, the main attraction of which being the first and only live penguin exhibit in the Philippines.
On show were nine South American penguins captive-bred in Germany.
The “tropical” Humboldt penguins were presented in a habitat closest to their own, complete with nesting burrows, a rocky shore, and an indoor pool to allow them to frolic undisturbed in the water, while giving the public a view of their natural antics.
Among 18 known species of penguins worldwide, Humboldt penguins actually live in warm and dry climate off the Pacific coastlines of Chile and Peru.
The penguins were flown in three months ago from Germany, where they were captive-bred.
“We got the penguins from a breeding facility in Germany,’’ Jappy Lim, Manila Ocean Park program development specialist, told the Inquirer. “We usually get our marine life attractions from breeding facilities. In keeping with our policy of environmental protection and conservation, we do not take animals from the wild.”
‘Antarctica is here’
Lim said they chose to exhibit the Humboldt penguins because they can withstand warmer temperatures better than their counterparts in the Antarctic and are more “tropical.”
At the Ocean Park, a cool temperature of 21 to 22 degrees Celsius is maintained at the penguins’ habitat.
At the launch of the marine theme park’s newest attraction, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim expressed excitement at having a close look of the penguins, which he noted are read and seen only in books and magazines by school children.
“We are going to Antarctica without boarding a plane. Without paying so much, Antarctica has been brought here by the management of Manila Ocean Park,” Lim said.
‘We’re all children’
US ambassador to Manila Harry K. Thomas Jr. said the exhibit made his dream come true. He vowed to encourage his compatriots to visit the country and view the exhibit.
“I am very, very pleased to be here because I have always wanted to go to Antarctica,” Thomas said in a speech. “I have always wanted to meet a penguin and today, because of the Manila Ocean Park, my dreams [have] come true. So thank you.”
Thomas said the park was on the right track in educating the young about environmental protection and conservation.
“We are all children today,” the ambassador stressed, adding that through the exhibit, everyone could learn about Antarctica, the penguins, the environment and what people need to do to take care of resources.
“I will very, very much encourage all American tourists to come here and take their families,” he said.
Bimby was there, too
Interacting with the waddling birds, President Aquino’s nephew, four-year-old James Yap Jr., or “Bimby,” had fun feeding and petting the penguins.
Trying to call the birds’ attention, the boy kept on shouting, “Hey penguins!”
Asked how he liked the penguins, Bimby said with a smile, “The penguins were good to me.”
The penguins ignored all the attention given them by their gawking, smiling visitors. They continued to frolic and swim in the water, once in a while taking galunggong off people feeding them.
Sometimes, they would stare at a person standing near them, showing no sign of alarm, before waddling away towards the water.
source
Adventure Aquarium dedicates weekend to the African Penguin
Friday, November 04, 2011
Enlarge
Three-year-old Black-footed African Penguin,
Little Ditty plays outside during the "Positively Peguins" Adventure,
where penguin-lovers can have an up-close encounter at the Adventure
Aquarium in Camden. Staff photo by Calista Condo/Gloucester County Times
Adventure Aquarium's gallery (33 photos)
Musician John Cougar Mellencamp might want to get a little closer to a few penguins at Adventure Aquarium in Camden. After all, he did have something to do with one little guy’s name.
Inside the small, outdoor space behind Penguin Island — where visitors can see these cute, tux-wearing birds frolic about on a daily basis — Little Ditty waddles out beside biologist Jenn Hutchins.
“He’s a very special young man,” she said with pride.
“Tell them about Ditty’s name,” said Michele Pagel, curator of birds and mammals at the aquarium.
Hmmm? Little Ditty? How did he get that cute name?
Well, the story goes like this: Little Ditty’s dad, Jack, was ready for a mate, Hutchins said. So a female penguin was brought to the aquarium for Jack — and she didn’t have a name yet.
“We named her Diane,” Hutchins said. “So we had Jack and Diane. And when they had a baby, we named him Little Ditty.”
Little ditty about Jack and Diane, two American kids ... er African Penguins? doing the best they can?
“He (Mellencamp) might want to meet a product of a lyric from his song,” Hutchins said.
View full sizeAdventure
Aquarium guests who partake in the "Positively Penguins" experience
will learn all about penguins from biologists and get to see their eggs
(below) and feathers.“It’s about creating a unique experience for guests,” said Kimberly J. Walker, public relations and communications manager at the aquarium. “It’s an open dialogue with a biologist, a personal tour.”
Hutchins picks up Ditty. He’s comfortable in her arms. The pair are face to face, something only a trained professional should ever attempt. People think they’re “cute and cuddly,” she said. But that’s not really true at all. There are two dangerous parts of a penguin to be aware of.
First, penguins’ beaks are very strong, she said. And there’s a hook on the end of it.
“He’s the only penguin I will let get that close to my face,” she said. “I have plenty of scars from penguin beaks.”
And the other part?
“Their rear ends of course. They go to the bathroom every 10 to 15 minutes,” Hutchins said. “See, there he goes.”
View full sizeView penguins eggs while participating in the "Positively Penguins" experience this weekend at Adventure Aquarium in Camden.Ever wonder what a penguin’s foot feels like?
“They feel like the pads on the bottom of puppies’ feet,” Hutchins said.
And its wings? They are strong and solid, she said.
These fascinating birds were recently reclassified from vulnerable to endangered. There are now fewer than 26,000 breeding pairs of African Penguins remaining in the wild. So to help these little guys survive — they hail mostly from South Africa — the aquarium is hosting African Penguin Awareness Weekend, Saturday and Sunday.
Several penguin activities are planned for the weekend. Visitors can meet an African Penguin during penguin appearances throughout the weekend. They can take pictures with a penguin during three daily photo sessions, view and perhaps buy artwork actually done by a penguin (the little guys’ feet are dipped into a water-based paint, then they walk over a small canvas and leave colorful imprints of their feet behind.) Guests can also purchase a penguin footprint for a dollar, and that dollar could help rescue an African Penguin.
African Penguins are endangered a big part due to oil spills along the coast of South Africa, Hutchins said. Adventure Aquarium is teaming up with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) to help save these threatened birds. A portion of penguin paintings and penguin adoptions — another program available to guests at the aquarium this weekend — will go directly to SANCCOB.
View full sizeBiologist
Jenn Hutchins sits with Little Ditty after he created a painting with
his feet at Adventure Aquarium in Camden. Visitors who purchase a
penguin painting will help in the effort to save endangered wild African
Penguins.“Always listen to the trainer, respect the animal and if you’re taking a picture of me with a penguin and I get bit or slapped, please delete it,” she said.
These animals are only 18 inches tall and weigh about 20 pounds, but they are pretty tough birds, she said. They can definitely hold their own against humans.
“It’s really just humiliating,” Hutchins said with a laugh.
If you go: African Penguin Awareness Weekend will take place at Adventure Aquarium Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5 and 6. Admission is $22.95 for adults and $17.95 for children 2 to 12. For tickets visit, www.adventureaquarium.com.
Positively Penguins is available for guests on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 to 4 p.m. Up to six guests can participate. The adventure is open to adults and children ages 5 and up. $135 per person. To book a penguin adventure visit, www.adventureaquarium.com.
source
Friday, November 4, 2011
Learning to Read an Iceberg
First of all this iceberg is in mostly in the same orientation it was when it first broke off the glacier it came from. The horizontal lines are the layers of snow that have been compressed into ice while the glacier was flowing down the mountain, as well the surface had an edge of snow, still built up from high precipitation, this tells us the ice is still mostly upright.
Once this huge chunk of ice was set free into the ocean, it began to melt faster than it would as a glacier. The currents and movement of the salty sea water begin eroding the bottom of the iceberg but in a smooth pattern, turning hard edges into soft curves. The “shoreline” on the iceberg is where the lapping of the waves on the surface erode the iceberg the most, creating the indentation in the middle where the smooth ice ends and the rough untouched ice begins.
As the iceberg melts and chunks fall off, the balance changes. As you can see the lower right portion of the iceberg used to be underwater because it’s smooth, it’s now above water with the new weight distribution.
This iceberg is now peppered with Adele penguins. It may be a lot of penguins who are two years old and younger; essentially spinster penguins not yet mature enough to breed. They have no obligation to be in a colony and get to spend the first two years of their life feeding and enjoying themselves. The cape petrel flying on the top right creates a point of interest in the most perfect spot, further illustrating how icebergs can be mother natures “rest stops”.
But there is more! Ice creates a mini ecosystem that krill and small copepods and crustaceans tend to cling to. Small slivers of grey dot the lower left of the iceberg betraying the presence of Antarctic Terns fishing for these small creatures. These waters are rich with life, and as desolate as an image can seem, a trained eye can see an abundance of wonderful creatures.
Take a look at the ice again, do you see what I see?
source
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
iphone app for Phillip Island’s penguins
Iphone users can download the app for free from the Apple iTunes store. Features include a map and visitor guide to Phillip Island Nature Parks’ attractions, multiple language audio tours, a quiz, wildlife photo gallery plus news and event feeds. The Nature Parks’ sales and marketing manager, Nicoleta Giurgiu, said, “The new iphone app is part of our commitment to innovative methods of engaging with our visitors. “Nearly five per cent of our 400 000 website visitors are using iphones. We’ve launched the app to connect with that market and enhance the visitor experience.” The app can be used pre-visit for planning and booking tickets; during a visit to discover more about the local wildlife and attractions or to enjoy audio tours; and post-visit to share experiences with friends through the photo gallery. Mrs Giurgiu thanked Schweppes, a major supporter of the Nature Parks, for making the development of the app possible. Approximately one million people visit Phillip Island Nature Parks’ attractions every year, including the Penguin Parade, the Koala Conservation Centre, Churchill Island Heritage Farm and the Nobbies Centre. The Nature Parks is a not-for-profit organisation and world-leader in little penguin research and ecotourism. source |
Penguin chick makes public debut
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011
Kyodo
SHIRAHAMA, Wakayama Pref. — A newly hatched
emperor penguin has been presented to the public for the first time at
an animal park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, the only facility in
Japan that has succeeded in breeding the species, the park's operator
said.
| Welcome to our world: A recently hatched emperor penguin is seen at Wakayama Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, last Thursday. KYODO |
The baby penguin was hatched Oct. 18 using a
special incubator at Wakayama Adventure World, one of just two locations
in the country that keeps emperor penguins. With the new chick, the
park now has a flock of 14 emperor penguins.
According to Adventure World, it is difficult
to breed emperor penguins as it requires an environment similar to the
penguins' natural habitat in Antarctica.
The chick, the sixth emperor penguin to be hatched at the park, is being fed ground herring and other seafood five times a day.
Penguin Zoo News
Rescued penguins to join flock at San Francisco Zoo
Awwww. (Audrey Whitmeyer-Weathers/The Chronicle)
Three years ago in Brazil, 373 Magellanic penguins searching for food became stranded hundreds of miles from their normal feeding grounds. Commercial fishing, which depletes the supply of small fish, oil pollution and climate change have all made it hard for penguins to eat in the usual places.
Six penguins deemed too weak to survive in the wild on their own were donated from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to the San Francisco Zoo, bringing its total number to 51.
The penguins will waddle into public view for the first time at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the zoo’s Penguin Island.
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Adventure Aquarium in Camden to host African Penguin Awareness Weekend
Published: Tuesday, November 01, 2011
CAMDEN — Adventure Aquarium will host African Penguin Awareness Weekend this Saturday and Sunday.In support of these adorable, flightless feathered friends, the aquarium is encouraging penguin enthusiasts to waddle on down to the Camden Waterfront this weekend — Nov. 5 and 6 — to help support some of the cutest little tux-wearing tykes on the planet.
The weekend will feature an array of “penguin-centric” activities.
African Penguin Awareness Weekend will include chances to meet an African Penguin during up-close penguin appearances and speak with biologists about these adorable sea birds, take photos with an African Penguin during one of three daily photography sessions, see and purchase penguin artwork in a gallery setting originally created by Adventure Aquarium’s African Penguins, learn more about the aquarium’s Penguin Adoption Program and purchase your very own penguin footprint to sign and display for just $1.
Adventure Aquarium is located at 1 Riverside Drive in Camden. Admission is $22.95 for adults and $17.95 for children ages 2 to 12.
For more information visit, www.adventureaquarium.com.
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Santa Barbara Zoo Penguin gets new shoe
Lucky now has an orange and black shoe with a “Jack o’ Lantern face inside Teva’s hand logo.
Adventure shoe company Teva made the shoe for the Humboldt penguin, whose leg did not develop normally.
“We couldn’t be happier to watch as Lucky adjusts to his healthier and happier life with his new shoe,” said Teva’s public relations manager Jaime Eschette. “It’s only fitting to celebrate with his first Halloween shoe to get him in the spirit for the holidays.”
Teva is also planning to make other shoes for Lucky based on holiday themes.
“These shoes may have saved Lucky’s life,” said Zoo CEO Rich Block. “Now he can, jump and swim like any other penguin, albeit a very stylish one. He’s become a favorite of our guests and our staff.”
Humboldt penguins are threatened in their native habitat along the Pacific Coast of South America from Peru to Chile, where their populations are in serious decline. The Zoo opened the Crawford Family Penguin House in June 2006 and now houses 18 individuals.
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Being 5: Penguin Edition
Posted by: Nora Venne, Education
Happy 5th birthday, Zoomazium! We’re celebrating 5 years of child’s play in Zoomazium with a look this week at what it means to be 5 for humans and different animals. Then the party continues this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5 and 6, with cupcakes, live entertainment and birthday-themed activities at Zoomazium including enrichment treats for some of the zoo’s notable 5-year-old residents.
In this blog post, we spoke with penguin keepers at Woodland Park Zoo to learn more about what it is like to be 5 years old for a Humboldt penguin.
Q: Human children at age 5 are still very young and completely dependent on their families for care. Give us a brief description of what life looks like for a penguin. Is age 5 young or older for this animal?
A: Humboldt penguins are much further along in their maturity by age 5 than humans are. That’s because the average life span of a Humboldt penguin is around 20 – 25 years in the wild; 25 – 30 years in captivity. Penguins grow incredibly fast. A Humboldt penguin chick at age 40 – 60 days (when it is still on the nest) already weighs as much as its parents—about 7 pounds! At 1 year of age, young penguins lose their juvenile feathers and get in their full adult plumage complete with stripes and spots. They reach reproductive age at 2 – 3 years.
Q: For humans, kindergarten is just starting at age 5. Sometimes we go to school away from our parents and start being independent during the day. When do penguins start becoming independent from their families and how do they learn to do so?
A: Penguins begin to become independent at 70 – 90 days when a fledgling leaves the nest and is no longer dependent on its parents for food. In the wild, penguins typically spend their lifetime in the colony, however, once they are fledged and eating on their own, there is little interaction between parents and chicks.
Q: Although we are beginning to be more independent at age 5, we still must be able to tell familiar people from strangers and know where home is. How does a penguin know its family and friends from others?
A: As these birds are a social species and can live in colonies numbering in the hundreds and thousands, penguins use a few methods to identify each other. Humboldt penguins each have a series of spots and stripe patterns on their ventral side and under their flippers. Each pattern is unique to each individual, much like fingerprints on humans. Penguins also use vocalizations to communicate. It is believed that each individual penguin has its own voice unique to itself. This is another way penguin parents can distinguish their young in a crowd and vice versa.
Q: Kindergarten is also a time of learning. We learn our numbers, letters and other useful skills for life (like how to tie our shoes). What kind of skills do penguins need to learn for life and when and how do they begin learning?
A: Upon fledging (at around 70-90 days), Humboldt penguin young are led to the water where parents and members of the colony introduce them to the fundamentals of survival. These fledgling juveniles quickly learn to swim and hunt for fish such as anchovies and sardines. Though swimming and fishing are innate behaviors to penguins, exposure, practice, and repetition of these activities when they are young will be of continuing benefit to the colony as they grow older. The sooner individuals can develop these important skills, the sooner they can participate in foraging and hunting strategies and contribute to the colony. Practice makes perfect!
Q: An important step in Kindergarten is learning to share and make friends. How do penguins make friends and interact with each other?
A: Penguins, in general, are highly social creatures that typically live in groups of hundreds and even thousands. A social structure within a group develops over time and often dominant individuals are at the forefront. Competition is the name of the game when it comes to penguin survival. Adapting highly acute senses like eyesight, hearing, touch, and vocalizations (called braying) help penguins to distinguish and express who is friend or foe. Body posturing (using head, flippers, bill), though not easily interpreted by humans, is something penguins seem to use a lot to communicate. Penguins also bill fence when fighting, and a mate will tend to their partner's feathers or preen them when comfortable and relaxed.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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