The Marlyand Zoo in Baltimore has welcomed a pair of penguin chicks. The pair of chicks are both female and hatched early in October.
These penguin chicks are the first penguins to be born at the zoo’s new Penguin Coast habitat.
Interestingly while they are not siblings the two chicks were raised by the same parents.
The Maryland Zoo has called on the public to assist in the naming of the new chicks. Keepers have selected four pairs of names relating to the animals South African home that visitors can vote on.
The options are Shelly and Sandy for the two different types of beaches that penguins inhabit in South Africa. Nellie and Mandie for Nelson Mandela, Dawn and Hope, Dawn for dishwashing detergent which helps to clean wild penguins caught in oil spills and Hope for the Cape of Good Hope where the Boulders Penguin Colony lives. The last option is Daisy and Rose which are floral names to complement the zoo’s current penguin Lilly.
Votes can be submitted up until the 20th of December 2014 at http://www.marylandzoo.org/2014/12/penguin-naming/.
Once they receive their names the penguins will be ready to begin training to be Animal Ambassadors. This will see the travelling out of the zoo to educate people about penguins. They will join the current ambassador penguins known as Winnie, Tails and Lilly.
Photo Credits: The Maryland Zoo
