Penguins get shark roommates at aquarium

These sharks are docile, well-mannered and like underwater caves, biologists say

Tim Wong, California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences introduced a group of pyjama sharks to its popular African Penguin exhibit. The two species are natural neighbors off the coast of South Africa.

 

By Jeanna Bryner Managing Editor

8/1/2012 

A group of African penguins that live on an indoor beach in California greeted some toothy new neighbors this week: six striped pyjama sharks.

On Tuesday, aquarium biologists at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco introduced the nocturnal sharks (four females and two males) to their neighbors in nature, as both species live in the wild off the South African coast.  

The 2-year-old pyjama sharks, which the biologists say are docile and mild-mannered, are expected to spend much of their time in the exhibit's man-made underwater caves; since the two species rub shoulders in the wild, they should pose no threat to each other.

"During yesterday's event, the sharks were let into the tank two at a time, which piqued the interest of the penguins," biologists at the California Academy told LiveScience, collectively, in an email. "The penguins reacted with curiosity, some diving into the water to get a closer look at and feel for their new neighbors. Overall, the penguins reacted quite positively."

As for the sharks, they swam up to the tank's glass as if posing for photos, before retreating to their cave homes, the biologists added.
The African penguin exhibit is modeled after Boulders Beach in South Africa, where the penguins and sharks are found in the wild.

The sharks were born at an aquarium in Lisbon, Portugal, in July 2010 before being transported to the Steinhart Aquarium at the Academy a few months ago. So that biologists can monitor the sharks' feeding, they are using tactics to attract the typically nighttime bottom feeders to the surface for meal times.

When hatched, these sharks measure about 5.5 to 5.9 inches in length, growing to about 39 inches as adults. The Academy's newcomers were about 16 inches long when they arrived at the aquarium.
Their aquarium mates, African penguins (also called jackass penguins because the sounds they make resemble a donkey's bray) grow to about 23 to 25 inches tall and can weight 5 to 9 pounds.
A Web cam is set up in the exhibit that allows the public to watch the pudgy penguins and their new "roommates."

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the sharks' birthdate. They were born in July 2010 and transported to the Aquarium several months ago. 

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Image of the Day

macaroni penguin, a photo by ricardo00 on Flickr.

Penguin fans take steps to help rebuild zoo enclosure

The penguins on parade

Published on Tuesday 31 July 2012 
 

DOZENS of people are set to leave their mark on a new penguin parade at Edinburgh Zoo, after buying “penguin footprints” to help raise thousands of pounds for a new enclosure.

The zoo’s Penguins Rock Appeal was launched three weeks ago and has already raised more than £22,000 of its £100,000 target, with several people purchasing special footprint dedications for loved ones.

Penguin fans can sponsor a penguin footprint on the parade route close to the pool, with their name and a special dedication featured on the brick.
The money raised will go towards the £750,000 cost of creating a new enclosure to house the Capital’s famous penguin colony.

Sponsorship manager at Edinburgh Zoo, Rebecca Whitley, said: “Penguins Rock Appeal has been a huge success so far and we have had a great response from our members and the public alike.
“It’s great to see how popular our penguins are with the public and we’re sure that we will be able to give them a great enclosure that will be home to these famous birds for years to come.
“We hope to have 100 sponsored bricks in place when the enclosure is completed, which would be great as 2013 is our centenary year, although, as they are proving popular, we might reach that target quickly.”

In March, the zoo’s popular penguin parade had to be suspended, and two-thirds of the birds were farmed out to other zoos, after leaks were found in their pool.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland launched a campaign earlier this month to raise funds for the new Penguins Rock enclosure, which will see water slides and a beach built for the penguins.
In his online blog, chief executive of Edinburgh Zoo, Professor Chris West, said: “Kind donations have been gratefully received from across Scotland and the UK.

“Many people have purchased special footprint dedications for loved ones that will line the penguin parade route once the new enclosure has been developed. I’ve been delighted to see how well loved the penguins are.”
Penguins Rock will feature a range of new features, including interactive elements and diving boards, as well 
as improved viewpoints for visitors.

Until its closure, the daily penguin parade was one of the most popular attractions at the zoo, which had the largest outdoor penguin pool in the world.
The parade began in 1951 when a keeper accidentally left the gate open. The penguins went for a short walk and then returned to their enclosure.

A daily penguin talk has been given at the zoo in the absence of the parade.
Following the discovery of the leak, the 160-bird colony had to be split up, with some being sent to Belfast, Denmark and England, although some stayed in the Capital. Then, it was said that 50 of the birds would never return.

As part of the new enclosure, there will also be a memorial plaque with names on a wall at the side of the enclosure 
showing all those who have supported the project.
Anyone willing to spend £250 can buy themselves a penguin footprint with their name on it.

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This Aquarium Is the Only Place On Earth Where Penguins Can Fly

Jul 31, 2012

Andrew Liszewski

 

The Sunshine Aquarium—located atop an entertainment complex in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo—features a unique ring-shaped see-through tank perched seven-and-a-half feet over guests that usually lets them watch the facility's seal population swim laps.
But this summer the aquarium's added a special penguin exhibit, and every evening the birds are given exclusive access to the Aqua Ring which presumably gives them a small taste of what it might be like to fly. During their nightly excursion in the circular tank the seals are kept at bay given they're one of the penguin's natural predators. And because having an up-close view of what might happen should a penguin and seal meet might not be particularly enjoyable for the aquarium's younger guests.


[Sunshine Aquarium (Facebook) via RocketNews24]

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Image of the Day

Chinstrap Penguins, a photo by Veerle L on Flickr.

Penguins head for South West town

July 30, 2012 

Aleisha Orr

This Fiordland penguin washed up on a Denmark beach this month, the sixth penguin to arrive in the WA town this year.

Driving to the other part of town for a nice meal is one thing, but travelling 3500 kilometres in search of food is quite another – but not so in the case of two adventurous penguins.

A Fiordland penguin from New Zealand washed up on Denmark beach on Saturday.
It was the second kiwi penguin to find its way to the small south west town in the past two weeks and the seventh penguin to arrive there this year.

Another of the Fiordland penguins that washed up in Denmark earlier this year.

Denmark veterinarian David Edmonds said the latest arrival was found at a stretch of beach near Torbay, known as Dingoes.
A surfer found the animal and brought it to his clinic.
Two weeks beforehand, a woman found another Fiordland penguin on a beach at Williams Bay.
Both penguins, while having few injuries, were underweight.

The first was just half the size that it should have been at 1.4 kilograms.
The second was slightly bigger, weighing a little more than 2 kilograms.
"They could've been looking for food and gone off track because there was not enough food," Dr Edmonds said.

He said penguins usually ate squid, fish and krill.
"There is a genuine concern that numbers are decreasing because of decreased food sources which may be a result of over-fishing," Dr Edmonds said.
He said the clinic had also looked after four northern rock hopper penguins that arrived in the area in January.

The northern rock hoppers would have come from the opposite direction of the kiwi penguins; they live in the Amsterdam and St Paul islands 3500 kilometres west of WA.
Dr Edmonds was also aware of another penguin being looked after by an animal carer in Albany.
He said the number of penguins reaching the area was high this year, compared to just one last year.
The two penguins still at Denmark Veterinary Clinic are expected to be released next week once their health improves and they have gained weight.

"We will take them out a couple of kilometres from land and let them go," he said.
Dr Edmonds said while it was not known how penguins managed to navigate such long distances; the penguins had the ability to find their way back to New Zealand if they survived the long distance swim.

"We're just hoping to get them healthy so they have their best chance."
He said he expected that the two would make their way back home separately despite plans for them to be released together.
"They don't tend to stick together," he said.

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Image of the Day

Gorfou Sauteur, a photo by Manu Barret on Flickr.

Image of the Day

African Penguin., a photo by Nuao on Flickr.

Penguin washes up on WA beach

Toyah Shakespeare, The West Australian July 30, 2012

Denmark Veterinary Clinic veterinary nurse Chris Spencer feeds squid to the penguin. Picture: Laurie Benson/Albany Advertiser

Experts believe a tiny penguin that washed up in Denmark two weeks ago travelled for well over half its life from New Zealand's South Island before reaching a local beach on July 15.

The 10-month-old Fiordland penguin, weighing little more than 1kg, made a 3500km, six-month journey through the Southern Ocean to become the first of its kind to reach WA this year. It has been recovering at Denmark Veterinary Clinic.

Veterinarian David Edmonds said the bird most likely hatched in August or September and left New Zealand in November.

"The best theory is that he was feeding from the continental shelf near Albany and probably became storm-wrecked," he said.

Victorian bird expert and author Ken Simpson has confirmed the penguin as a Fiordland, one of five that have landed in Australia this year - two in South Australia and two in Victoria.
Dr Edmonds said the penguin was being fed squid mixed with salt and placed in a paddle pool to help waterproof its feathers.

"When he arrived, he could barely stand and now he can walk around," Dr Edmonds said. "He also had an eye injury which has healed."

The penguin now weighs 1.7kg but needs to be about 3.5kg.
Dr Edmonds has also looked after four rockhopper penguins which swam ashore this year after travelling 3500km from the west.

The arrival of the five penguins in Denmark was a sign that they were having to go further for food and that might be because of overfishing, Dr Edmonds said.

The Fiordland penguin will be released back into the wild.

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Imae of the Day

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Image of the Day

Penguin, a photo by éric on Flickr.

Blue Fairy Penguin on Granite Island

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