Three African penguin cubs hatched in captivity in the USA. Reported by the Associated Press.
In recent years, the number of African penguins has declined sharply and they are listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the last two years alone, their numbers have decreased by 23%. In the wild, these birds live in South Africa, Nambia and the surrounding islands, adults grow up to 70 centimeters and 5 kilograms.
“So every successful egg hatch is something to celebrate,” says Jess Peranto, one of the staff at the OdySea aquarium where the chicks hatch.
The breeding program, created by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, aims to create a suitable genetic pool for the species. The organization says two of the three chicks come from the same brood made by Mojo and Lemieux, a “strong” breeding pair matched by experts. The third chick was born to “rookie” parents Bubbles and Weasley.
The chicks have not yet been named and their sex is unknown. They are currently known by the numbers 42, 43 and 44.
In total, there are 40 African penguins in the OdySea aquarium, during which 13 successful broods were recorded.
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