WCS’s Central Park Zoo Announces First King Penguin Ever Hatched in New York City

Posted at 11:07h in by NYLK in Uncategorized



WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Central Park Zoo is celebrating the arrival of New York City’s first royal baby – a king penguin chick.

The chick is the first king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) ever hatched in New York City. The landmark hatching is the result of the expertise and careful husbandry techniques practiced by the zoo’s keepers and curatorial staff.

“This hatching is a wonderful accomplishment for our staff. It will be a treat to watch this penguin mature,” said Craig Piper, WCS Director of City Zoos. “This was the first year that the king penguin chicks were old enough to potentially produce a fertile egg and we’re thrilled that conditions proved right for them to incubate, hatch, and care for the chick.”

The parents hatched the chick on exhibit in August. Afterward, all three were moved behind-the-scenes to carefully monitor the young penguin’s health and development. The family recently rejoined the rest of the penguin colony where zoo guests will be able to watch the chick transform from a gawky brownish fluff-ball to an elegant adult penguin.

The Central Park Zoo has a long, successful history with the care and husbandry of penguins. The Polar Circle exhibit is home to more than 60 penguins representing four species: gentoo, chinstrap, rockhopper, and king. The king penguins are the newest to the colony and were added to the group in 2010. The new addition brings the total number of king penguins at the zoo to seven. The sex of the new chick has yet to be determined.

The Polar Circle exhibit at the Central Park Zoo is built to replicate conditions penguins experience in the wild. Both air and water temperatures are maintained below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Special lighting simulates natural seasonal adjustments in day/night cycles. The change in sunrise and sunset throughout the year lets the penguins know when it is breeding season and triggers instinctual mating behaviors.

The four penguin species at the Central Park Zoo are not endangered, but they face serious environmental threats in the wild including climate change, overfishing, and the degradation of coastal ecosystems.

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Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS