Endangered African penguin chick hatches at National Aviary
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - An adorable endangered African penguin chick hatched at the National Aviary.
The chick was born to first-time parents Patrick and Owen, but because each chick is critically important, the aviary said it'll be raised by "adoptive parents" Sidney and Bette, who have fledged 10 chicks.
When the chick hatched on Sept. 28, it was about the size of a lime and weighed 77 grams. The aviary said African penguins are monomorphic, meaning males and females look similar, so a DNA test is needed to determine its sex.
The aviary said there used to be millions of African penguins a century ago, but today just over 1% of the population remains. Pressures caused by humans like overharvesting fish and oil spills have driven rapid declines.
The chick is in a specially designed nest burrow in Penguin Point with elements of the South African coast, like heated rocky beaches and temperature controlled pools for diving and swimming. It'll grow up fast, reaching adult size in three months.
The chick's hatching comes just in time for African Penguin Awareness Day, which the National Aviary is celebrating on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
