New England Aquarium welcomes four new African penguin chicks
Just in time for Mother’s Day, the New England Aquarium has welcomed four new African penguin chicks.
The first chick was a male and hatched on March 21, followed by a female from the same parents (Malgas II and Demersus III) on March 27. On April 8 and 18, a male and female chick were born from a second set of parents (Namibia IV and Jahleel III).
Malgas has raised 6 chicks over the years.
“What’s really exciting about Malgas this year is that she got to raise two chicks. In the wild, one of those chicks may not survive because of competition for the resources of its parents. But Malgas was clearly ready for this challenge, and both chicks are thriving,” said Eric Fox, assistant curator of penguins.
Namibia is a first-time mom who has been learning how to care for her chicks.
Malgas and Demersus’ first chick to hatch is already the size of an adult at 2,500 grams—35 times its hatch weight. The chick and his sibling are weaned and now hand fed, with their waterproof feathers starting to come in, which will allow them to enter the water and practice swimming, the aquarium said.
Trainers and staff at the aquarium are working with the penguin chicks to become more comfortable with the other penguins.
The first chick will likely be ready to go on exhibit for the public to see in early June.
The last time the Aquarium introduced multiple African penguin chicks in the same breeding season was in 2019 when three chicks joined the aquarium family,
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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