Taipei Zoo has announced that a baby boom is underway among its African penguins in the temperate animal zone, with six chicks successfully hatched through artificial incubation. Once the chicks shed their fluffy gray down and grow waterproof plumage, they will join the penguin exhibit to greet visitors.
According to Taipei Zoo, these six African penguin chicks were born to four different pairs of parent birds. The first chick to hatch is already over a month old, noticeably larger than the others and beginning to molt. The youngest chick hatched on June 22, smaller than a human palm, but already vocalizing to beg for food—adorable and full of life.
The zoo revealed that after hatching in the incubation room, the chicks were moved back to the operational area of the penguin exhibit, currently serving as a 'penguin nursery,' where they are hand-reared by keepers. Each chick is carefully monitored daily—individually weighed, visually inspected for health and vitality, and fed fish chunks or pureed food tailored to their size.
African penguin chicks typically molt their insulating light gray down at around three months of age, replacing it with sleek, waterproof gray-black feathers, marking their transition into the sub-adult stage. Keepers will gradually integrate them into the main penguin group based on their swimming ability, feeding skills, and overall health. During the summer's extended Saturday night opening hours, visitors may get a chance to see the young penguins in the exhibit.
The zoo added that African penguins are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. To maintain ex-situ population numbers and genetic diversity, Taipei Zoo has been refining its breeding techniques. In recent years, artificial incubation and hand-rearing have been adopted to increase chick survival rates. This year, from mid-May to the end of June, six chicks successfully hatched—bringing the zoo's penguin family to over 40 individuals.
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- Source: CNA (Central News Agency)
- Category: Event