Current:Home > MyA baby boom of African penguin chicks hatches at a San Francisco science museum -TradeGrid
A baby boom of African penguin chicks hatches at a San Francisco science museum
View
Date:2025-04-12 18:57:50
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A bounty of 10 African penguin chicks has hatched in just over a year at a San Francisco science museum as part of an effort to conserve the endangered bird.
The penguins began hatching in November 2022, ending a four year period without any new chicks, and continued through January of this year, the California Academy of Sciences announced Wednesday.
African penguins have dwindled to 9,000 breeding pairs in the wild, the academy said in a statement.
Threats such as overfishing, habitat degradation and oil spills have reduced colonies of the charismatic black-and-white birds, said Brenda Melton, director of animal care and well-being at the museum’s Steinhart Aquarium.
“Every chick we welcome strengthens the genetics and overall population of the species in human care,” she said.
Chicks spend their first three weeks with their penguin parents in a nest box. They then attend “fish school,” where they learn to swim on their own and eat fish provided by biologists. Once ready, they are introduced to the colony.
The penguins at the museum in Golden Gate Park have distinct personalities and are identifiable by their arm bands, according to the academy’s website.
Opal is the oldest and, at age 36, has perfected the ability to catch fish in mid-air. Her partner, Pete, is a messy eater and a flirt.
Partners Stanlee and Bernie, who both like to bray, produced four of the 10 chicks, including Fyn, named for a type of vegetation found on the southern tip of Africa. She is the youngest penguin on exhibit.
African penguins can live to be 27 years old in the wild, and longer in captivity.
veryGood! (66)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Facts about hail, the icy precipitation often encountered in spring and summer
- Spilling The Swift Tea: Sign up for the Taylor Swift newsletter
- Zayn Malik Shares Rare Insight Into Life Away From Spotlight With His Daughter Khai
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Hurry, Lululemon Just Added New Styles to Their We Made Too Much Section—Score $39 Align Leggings & More
- Tom Hollander goes deep on 'Feud' finale, why he's still haunted by Truman Capote
- Neil Young is returning to Spotify after boycotting platform over Joe Rogan and COVID-19 misinformation
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Minnie Driver Reveals the Advice She'd Give Her Younger Self After Matt Damon Split
Ranking
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- A Wisconsin ruling on Catholic Charities raises the bar for religious tax exemptions
- A Mississippi police officer made an arrested man lick urine off jail floor, court document says
- Spilling The Swift Tea: Sign up for the Taylor Swift newsletter
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Iowa Republican shelves bill to criminalize death of an “unborn person” because of IVF concerns
- Kansas is close to banning gender-affirming care as former GOP holdouts come aboard
- Esa-Pekka Salonen to leave San Francisco Symphony, citing dispute with orchestra’s board
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Georgia Senate passes bill to loosen health permit rules, as Democrats again push Medicaid
'All in'? Why Dallas Cowboys' quiet free agency doesn't diminish Jerry Jones' bold claim
It’s Your Lucky Day! Get Up to 80% off at Anthropologie, With Deals Starting at Under $20
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
With Haiti in the grips of gang violence, 'extremely generous' US diaspora lends a hand
Fox News' Benjamin Hall on life two years after attack in Kyiv: Love and family 'saved me'
A Georgia woman died after trying to get AirPod from under conveyor belt, reports say