Featured Image Credit: PBS
By Eva Gruber
The Aquarium of Niagara wants to renovate their Humboldt Penguin exhibit, and they are calling on supporters and the local community to help with their crowdfunding campaign.
The Aquarium of Niagara is one of 20 institutions in North America that houses Humboldt Penguins, a penguin species from coastal South America. The weather certainly is warmer, even though the water is rather frigid.
Currently, there are seven Humboldt Penguins at the Aquarium of Niagara: Opus, Chile, DJ, Burgess, Araya, Lou, and Tux. This initiative has been started by the Aquarium because all of the birds are becoming too old to breed, and therefore more penguins will need to be brought in to maintain the Humboldt population. In order to make room for the new birds and ensure proper care, the exhibit must build a larger exhibit space and, of course, gain AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) accreditation.
The plans for the new exhibit include a 3,500 square- foot refrigerated enclosure, which would replace the current enclosure that is 1/5 of the size. The new exhibit will also feature a diving pool with public viewing, both above and below the water level, so that visitors can watch the penguins “fly” underwater. The terrestrial portion will be terraced with a wide beach to mimic the species natural habitat.
This campaign is not only important to maintain Humboldt penguins at the Aquarium of Niagara, but to also start a captive breeding program. The aquarium wishes to maintain genetic diversity among the species since they are threatened in the wild.
Humboldt penguins face a lot of threats in the wild, mostly due to the overfishing that causes the depletion of their food stock. They also face the multivariate consequences of climate change.
At the Aquarium of Niagara, natural penguin behaviors are highly encouraged. The birds are naturally curious and display a high degree of intelligence. They learn how to work with humans, and are also trained to complete behaviors. In order to stimulate their curiosity and intelligence, the penguins are provided with a variety of natural nesting behaviors, as well as balls, hoops, and foraging toys.
The seven penguins at the Aquarium of Niagara all have their own characteristics and personalities. Visitors can actually tell them apart by the patterns of their plumage and general size. The aquarium has already raised over $2 million in funding for the new exhibit. Every dollar counts when it comes to saving and preserving the future of the Humboldt penguins.
Read more about the campaign from our source.