First Endangered African Penguin Chick Born at Minnesota Zoo

Editor's Note: The following is a press release from the Minnesota Zoo.

The Minnesota Zoo is thrilled to announce the hatching of its first endangered African penguin chick – a significant achievement for the Zoo, which opened the "3M Penguins of the African Coast" exhibit in 2011.

Hatched March 2, the penguin—whose gender is not yet known—is currently being raised behind-the-scenes by foster parents. The biological parents were not incubating the egg consistently so the decision was made to give it to an experienced pair. So far, the chick is doing very well and has grown from 2.4 ounces to over 1 pound, 6 ounces.

African penguins live and nest on the southwest coast of Africa. Considered to be medium-sized, they are approximately 26-28 inches tall and weigh between six and nine pounds approximately when fully developed. They have black backs, faces, wings, feet and beaks with white torsos and white around their crown A black band intercepts the white along the upper crown. A black band intercepts the white along the upperbreast and a small dollop of pink adorns the spot just above the eye and a few areas on their feet. Juveniles have slate gray backs and lack the facial pattern that the adults have. backs

African penguins feed primarily on anchovies, sardines, herring and pelagic goby and eat nearly 15 percent of their body weight each day. Their life expectancy in the wild is between 10-15 years; birds in human care can live up to 30 years.

African penguins, like most other penguin species, are endangered in the wild. Oil spills, historical hunting, and destruction of their habitat have killed 80% of the population in the last 50 years. They are currently iin a crisis situation due to catastrophic food shortages.

Large catches of fish from commercial fisheries as well as climate change, which has shifted fish populations further away from the coast, have both been attributed to the decline in the global population. Due to this fish shortage, adults may abandon their nests or their growing chicks.