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Galapagos Penguins 
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Sunday, July 6, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Friday, July 4, 2014
Heard Island Penguins
Reader photo: Heard Island Penguins
King Penguins are ready to receive their loyal subjects in their sub-Antarctic kingdom
Heard Island is a popular breeding ground for the penguins, who find the waters of the island filled with their favourite food – lanternfish. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres to find laternfish, other small fish and squid. They have even been recorded hunting at depths greater than 300 metres!
King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are the second-largest species of penguin (only the emperor penguin is larger) and can grow between 70cm to 100cm tall and weigh up to 16kg.
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Kansas City Zoo knows how tricky it is to raise penguin chicks
07/03/2014
Children view the penguin exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo.File photo
Keepers at the Kansas City Zoo watched anxiously as their first penguin hatchling struggled for life.
The chick was not gaining weight even though its first-time parents were feeding it regurgitated fish, or attempting to. Reluctantly, the keepers had to pull the fuzzy, feathered baby away to treat it medically. It didn’t work.
But then no one said caring for penguins and their offspring was going to be easy.
The zoo is zero for four when it comes to Humboldt chicks since its $15 million penguin exhibit opened to public enthusiasm eight months ago. Of four Humboldt eggs, one was not fertile and two did not incubate, for unknown reasons. The one chick that hatched had been a favorite on public display and lived 37 days before it died this week of kidney failure and other problems. “We were treating it pretty intensively,” said zoo veterinarian Kirk Suedmeyer. “It never made a whole lot of progress. It’s very disconcerting.”
The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, which was the source of many of Kansas City’s penguins, has an 80 to 90 percent success rate with eggs among its 40 Humboldts, said collection manager Shawn Pedersen. His zoo actually limits chicks to eight or nine a year. “Four (unsuccessful) eggs is an awfully small number to be alarmed about,” Pedersen said of Kansas City’s experience. “If it had been 10 eggs and no success, it would be a little more alarming to me.”
Tom Schneider, the curator of birds at the Detroit Zoo and chairman of a committee that keeps track of the 3,000 or so penguins in North American animal parks, said Kansas City’s experience is not unusual. “This year, for instance, we had a number of eggs,” Schneider said of the Detroit Zoo’s macaroni penguins. “Four or five were not fertile. We hatched three chicks and one of those died.”
The number of successful penguin hatches varies year to year, but the captive population overall is self-sustaining. “People don’t really import penguins anymore because we’re able to breed enough to supply zoos what they need,” Schneider said.
The zoo has gone to great lengths to protect the health of its penguins and its investment in the birds.
Every one of the zoo’s 61 penguins, representing four species, has been subjected to a battery of tests by the veterinary staff, including blood draws, swabs for pathogens and fecal parasite exams. A couple of the Humboldts were treated for tapeworms.
They even had eye exams and were microchipped. The Humboldts were placed on medicine to prevent avian malaria, and every bird was treated for aspergillus, an affliction common to penguins.
They were also X-rayed, and some of them had to be operated on to remove foreign objects, such as wire, metal, plastic and rubber. The penguins had ingested the material before they arrived, prompting the zoo to alert their previous keepers they might need to correct a problem with their exhibits or holding areas. “It’s a lot of manpower and a lot of work,” Suedmeyer said of the vet regimen. “We want to have a healthy penguin population, and we’ve had very few issues.” None of the zoo’s adult penguins — 34 gentoos, 12 kings, four rockhoppers and 11 Humboldts — have died. As for offspring, a number of things can work against reproduction.
For one, Kansas City’s penguins came from across the country and have had to adjust to a new environment and new social groupings. And first pairings of young birds, as was the case with Kansas City’s hatchling, are not always successful. “Many of our original birds were closer relatives and were not good breeding pairs,” said marketing director Julie Neemeyer. “In fact, we had some that were siblings. So any eggs that were produced were pulled.” Some species can breed throughout the year. Others have limited mating periods. Penguins usually lay two eggs, but rarely do both survive. Chicks are helpless at birth. They depend on both parents to take turns feeding and caring for the chick, which may remain completely dependent for up to six months.
Zoo officials remain hopeful for future successful hatchlings. “It is always sad to have an animal pass away,” zoo director Randy Wisthoff said in a statement. “To have active breeding of many pairs in the first year of an exhibit opening is promising.”
The penguin exhibit remains very popular. An estimated 580,000 people have seen them cavort since it opened. “A lot of our guests are just coming to see the penguins, and maybe the polar bears,” Neemeyer said. “They aren’t visiting the whole zoo.”
Schneider has not seen Kansas City’s penguin exhibit in person, but members of his team have. “They’ve got a good penguin staff and a really nice facility,” he said of the Kansas City Zoo. “They’re going to have a very successful future with penguins.”
source
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Penguin gets first glance of herself on ArtWorks mural
2014-07-03
By Tana Weingartner
Paula standing before a 25-foot tall version of herself.
By Tana Weingartner
Paula standing before a 25-foot tall version of herself.
Tana Weingartner
WVXU
Paula the penguin took a trip outside the Newport Aquarium Thursday to check herself out. The African black-foot penguin seemed only mildly impressed by the 25 foot tall version of herself painted on the north exterior wall of the Aquarium. The artists and young artist apprentices working on the mural, however, enjoyed seeing how their work turned out.
ArtWorks Cincinnati is in the midst of producing a "Shark Wall" mural for Newport Aquarium as part of the aquarium’s 15-year anniversary. When complete it will feature a 35-foot long sand tiger shark along with other marine life.
At more than 300 feet long, the "Shark Wall" mural is ArtWorks longest project to date, according to Aquarium spokesman Jeff Geiser. The design was created by professional artist and former ArtWorks apprentice Roz Tallmadge.
It's expected to be complete some time in August.
source
Paula the penguin took a trip outside the Newport Aquarium Thursday to check herself out. The African black-foot penguin seemed only mildly impressed by the 25 foot tall version of herself painted on the north exterior wall of the Aquarium. The artists and young artist apprentices working on the mural, however, enjoyed seeing how their work turned out.
ArtWorks Cincinnati is in the midst of producing a "Shark Wall" mural for Newport Aquarium as part of the aquarium’s 15-year anniversary. When complete it will feature a 35-foot long sand tiger shark along with other marine life.
At more than 300 feet long, the "Shark Wall" mural is ArtWorks longest project to date, according to Aquarium spokesman Jeff Geiser. The design was created by professional artist and former ArtWorks apprentice Roz Tallmadge.
It's expected to be complete some time in August.
source
.JPG)
Paula waddles behind her keeper in front of the ArtWorks mural. Run, Paula, Run!
Tana Weingartner
WVXU
.JPG)
Artists and artist apprentices take pictures of Paula standing in front of the mural they're working on.
Tana Weingartner
WVXU
Four visiting penguins bring smiles, cheer and endangerment awareness to Mobile
on July 02, 2014
MOBILE, Alabama-- The Gulf Coast Exploreum gained four new feathery friends on Monday who will make the museum their home until January. Mooshu, Cranberry, Ninja and Jelly are south African penguins that
typically live at the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and were
brought to Mobile in order to educate people about the birds.
These penguins do not require cold temperatures like many may expect. In fact, there are 17 difference species of penguins and half are native to warmer weather climates including south Africa and Australia.
They thermoregulate, or control their body temperature, with the pink areas around their eyes. The indoor habitat they live in has man-made rock structures, ramps and plenty of water to dive in as well as one hut per penguin.
All four penguins are paired off, as penguins mate for life. Mooshu is mated to Cranberry, and Ninja with Jelly. There is some speculation that one of the females may be nesting. They range in age from four to 9 years, according to Stefanie Link, a Gulfarium caretaker that has accompanied the penguins on their journey to Mobile. "In this environment, they can live to be 30, but in the ocean it's only until their mid-teens," said Link.
The endangered birds are at risk due to people. "The biggest thing is that people are stealing guano," she said. Guano, which is penguin excrement, has been called "white gold" because of its fertilizing benefits.
Without guano to nest in, penguins are forced to make nests out in the open, according to National Georgraphic. That exposes them more to the elements. Exploreum director of animal husbandry Mollie Shiffer said that the penguins are dying in south Africa at a rate of 90 per week. "We hope this exhibit gets the word out," she said.
There's even a website where people can donate and buy south African penguins premade huts that will serve as shelters, even without the abundant guano they once had. The Dyer Island Trust is just one place hoping to save the penguins. Even with the very real issue at hand, the four critters are already bringing smiles to many faces at the Exploreum.
The penguins won't be walking around the Hands On display any time soon, but the museum is planning a VIP experience that will let people get closer to the penguins and possibly even blow bubbles toward them as part of an enrichment exercise. "There will be no petting or holding by the general public for their health and safety," Shiffer said.
The penguin handlers will oversee the penguins day-in-and-day-out at the Exploreum and complete enrichment exercises often with the penguins, she said. The Exploreum has set up a box of seats that will be where people can view the penguins in their habitat and hear one of the penguin caretakers speak about the south African penguins' habits as well as their plight in their native land.
It will cost regular admittance to get into the museum and visit the penguins beginning Friday, July 4.
Mooshu, Cranberry, Ninja and Jelly will be happy to see you at Penguin Planet.
source
These penguins do not require cold temperatures like many may expect. In fact, there are 17 difference species of penguins and half are native to warmer weather climates including south Africa and Australia.
They thermoregulate, or control their body temperature, with the pink areas around their eyes. The indoor habitat they live in has man-made rock structures, ramps and plenty of water to dive in as well as one hut per penguin.
All four penguins are paired off, as penguins mate for life. Mooshu is mated to Cranberry, and Ninja with Jelly. There is some speculation that one of the females may be nesting. They range in age from four to 9 years, according to Stefanie Link, a Gulfarium caretaker that has accompanied the penguins on their journey to Mobile. "In this environment, they can live to be 30, but in the ocean it's only until their mid-teens," said Link.
The endangered birds are at risk due to people. "The biggest thing is that people are stealing guano," she said. Guano, which is penguin excrement, has been called "white gold" because of its fertilizing benefits.
Without guano to nest in, penguins are forced to make nests out in the open, according to National Georgraphic. That exposes them more to the elements. Exploreum director of animal husbandry Mollie Shiffer said that the penguins are dying in south Africa at a rate of 90 per week. "We hope this exhibit gets the word out," she said.
There's even a website where people can donate and buy south African penguins premade huts that will serve as shelters, even without the abundant guano they once had. The Dyer Island Trust is just one place hoping to save the penguins. Even with the very real issue at hand, the four critters are already bringing smiles to many faces at the Exploreum.
The penguins won't be walking around the Hands On display any time soon, but the museum is planning a VIP experience that will let people get closer to the penguins and possibly even blow bubbles toward them as part of an enrichment exercise. "There will be no petting or holding by the general public for their health and safety," Shiffer said.
The penguin handlers will oversee the penguins day-in-and-day-out at the Exploreum and complete enrichment exercises often with the penguins, she said. The Exploreum has set up a box of seats that will be where people can view the penguins in their habitat and hear one of the penguin caretakers speak about the south African penguins' habits as well as their plight in their native land.
It will cost regular admittance to get into the museum and visit the penguins beginning Friday, July 4.
Mooshu, Cranberry, Ninja and Jelly will be happy to see you at Penguin Planet.
source
Penguin Babies Earn Their Feathers At Zoo
© Tiergarten Schönbrunn
02. 07. 14
The magnificent seven Rockhopper penguins were born in mid April and went public only this week in their enclosure in the Austrian capital.
Zoo Director Dagmar Schratter said: "The penguins now weigh around 2 kilos. They have their first moulting behind them. Their waterproof feathers are almost completely covering their bodies and they already have their white chests on show. Soon they will be learning to swim."
Penguin’s black and white plumage serves as camouflage while swimming. The black plumage on their back is hard to see from above, while the white plumage on their front looks like the sun reflecting off the surface of the water when seen from below.
The Rockhopper penguins are endangered in the wild with only around 265,000 pairs thought to exist in the wild. Over the last 37 years the population is thought to have declined by 60 percent mainly due to overfishing of the seas as well as pollution and climate change.
Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere with the Galapagos Penguin being the only penguin species that ventures north of the equator in the wild.
Penguins eat a range of fish and other sea life that they catch underwater and in the zoo as in the wild, spend around half their time in water and the other half on land.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Kansas City Zoo saddened by loss of penguin chick
Posted:
Jul 01, 2014
The first Humboldt penguin chick born at the Kansas City Zoo passed away Monday due to kidney failure.
Staff members were caring for the 37-day-old chick behind the scenes after the penguin's parents were unable to provide the necessary nutrients for it to grow big and strong.
Zoo officials said the chick was placed in an incubator and was being medicated.
While being monitored, staff members discovered that the chick had respiratory problems along with kidney complications. "We were extremely lucky to have first-time parents have a fertile egg successfully hatch in this new environment. This is very rare under these circumstances," said Kansas City Zoo Executive Director Randy Wisthoff.
Wisthoff said he was saddened by the death but hopeful for future offspring. "It is always sad to have an animal pass away. To have active breeding of many pairs in the first year of an exhibit opening is promising," he said.
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