The only breeding colony of African penguins in Florida has been expanded by one with a chick hatched at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.
Parents ‘Amber’ and ‘Violet’ welcomed their little Chick on June 15. During its first weigh in on June 19 it weighed 160g (5.6oz) which had doubled to 512g (18oz) by June 28. Keepers are awaiting an opportunity to determine the gender of the chick.
Once it reaches six weeks old the chick will be taken on by the aviary care team who will educate it on how to swim and make it independent so it will be ready to go on exhibit later this year.
Lowry Park Zoo has provided a home for penguins since 2007. They first had a chick hatch during 2011. Last year the zoo began a project which aims to increase the size of the zoo’s penguin nursery so that they can raise more chicks known as “Protecting African Penguins.”
In the wild African penguin numbers have suffered a severe decline. In 1956 there was 141,000 African penguins breeding on the coast which had plummeted to just 19,000 by last year. This represents a 90% loss in half a century. This dramatic decline has been as a result of reduced food supply, changes in habitat as a result of shifting prey populations and oil spills.
Photo Credit: Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo
