The Ross Park Zoo recently welcomed two baby penguins, and their names have been chosen.
African penguins Lucky and Aurora, first-time parents, laid two eggs which hatched in March, one on March 23 and the other on March 26, according to a press release issued by the Binghamton zoo. One of the penguins was placed with foster parents at the zoo.
Ross Park Zoo Animal Care Manager Sara Welge explained African penguins normally lay two eggs two to four days apart, however, two eggs can be “overwhelming” for first-time parents. The second egg was given to two of the zoo’s other penguins, Howard and Adasha, who are successful past parents and first-time foster parents.
Even as first-time parents, Welge said Lucky and Aurora were great with the egg, which they “fiercely” protected, and their family of three is currently thriving at the zoo on Morgan Road.
Howard and Adasha “immediately took to” their foster egg, Welge said, and have done a “fabulous job fostering” the chick.
It is fairly common for African penguins to foster eggs and chicks, as they “take to fostering very well,” she explained, both in the wild and in human care, though it is more common in human care.
What are the new penguins’ names?
The sex of penguins is not obvious by simply looking at them, as they are not “sexually dimorphic,” Welge said, and therefore a blood test needs to be done in order to confirm whether they are male or female.
On May 13, the zoo received the results and Welge confirmed one of the chicks is male and the other is female.
The male chick has been named Parker and the female chick has been named Morgan.
When will the penguins be visible at the zoo?
Though the penguins are a few months old, Welge said they will not be visible to visitors until later in the summer.
Parker and Morgan have a bit more growing to do, like getting their waterproof feathers and learning how to swim, as well receiving additional vaccines before they can be released to the big penguin pool.
African penguins are ‘critically endangered’
While African penguins have been on the endangered species list for a while, Welge said their status just recently changed to “critically endangered” solely due to “human threats” like poaching, over-fishing and habitat loss.
Seafood Watch is a website that aids in making “educated choices in sustainable fishing,” Welge said, and urged the community to visit the website in order to learn more about how you can help African penguins from the U.S.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Two African penguin chicks born at Ross Park Zoo. See their names
Reporting by Sunshyne Lynch, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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