Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans is on the lookout for two new additions to their penguin colony. Resident penguins, Hubig and Ocio, have two eggs in their clutch and both are expected to hatch soon.
The animal care team at the Aquarium has separated the eggs, giving the parents a chance to hatch and rear one chick on their own. The other egg is in an incubator and being monitored by the Aquarium’s animal care team. They will be using a procedure called candling to inspect the egg and observe the growth of the penguin chick before it hatches.
African black-footed penguins are an endangered species and part of the Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Aquarium is also a founding member of AZA’s Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program, which focuses on saving endangered species.
African penguins are a priority species for SAFE due to their declining population in the wild, which has gone from 141,000 breeding pairs in 1956 to only about 25,000 today. AZA facilities are working together to address the declines by developing various penguin conservation projects, including improving oil spill disaster response protocols and constructing artificial nests.
Audubon’s penguins will have a newly refurbished exhibit when the Aquarium reopens this summer, complete with expanded and relocated nesting areas and improved access to their water for swimming. The African penguins at the Aquarium serve as ambassadors for their species, educating guests about the plight of this species in the wild.
Visitors will be able to see the penguins and the rest of the Aquarium when it reopens this summer. Get ready for some underwater magic and the joy of new life at Audubon Aquarium!
