Photos: Penguin chick hatches at Akron Zoo
*Above shows how Akron Zoo animals reacted to the total solar eclipse*
AKRON, Ohio — Penguins are cute to begin with, but baby penguins take it to another level!
A Humboldt penguin chick recently hatched at the Akron Zoo. The chick came to the zoo as an egg from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
“The egg was a high priority in terms of genetic diversity and the decision was made by the Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP) to send the egg to the Akron Zoo,” said Elena Bell.
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The chick is being fostered by penguins Pez and Gabriella.
“They have a successful track record with raising chicks in the past, including fostering. The pair’s last chick is Ernie, who hatched in 2021,” Bell said.
The chick is female and has been named Tercera (tere-sara), which means “third” in Spanish. Tercera hatched on the third day of the third month, and she is the third chick the zoo has fostered.
Courtesy: Akron Zoo Courtesy: Akron Zoo
The Akron Zoo is home to 16 penguins, including Tercera. This is the 20th penguin chick to hatch at the Akron Zoo since Penguin Point opened in 2003.
Humboldt penguins are found in their home range on the coasts of Peru and Chile and are currently vulnerable to extinction. The decline in penguin numbers is due to the harvesting of guano by local farmers for use in agricultural fertilizer, which destroys penguin nesting locations.
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The Akron Zoo is open 361 days a year. For information on when the zoo is open and ticket prices you can click here.
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