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By: Sarah Sharkey
Earlier this year, penguins were introduced in Saudi Arabia for the first time. The Humboldt penguins were welcomed into their new home at the Fakieh Aquarium in Jeddah.
The penguins were born in Peru but made the overseas journey with ease. The penguins range from 2 to 4 years old. In total, 8 penguins will call the Fakieh Aquarium their new home.
According to the executive manager of the aquarium, Zaki Sadayo, “We’re delighted to bring the first-ever group of penguins to Saudi Arabia.”
Their previous home was the Parque Zoologico de Huachipa. They were born and cared for by diligent staff for their entire lives. At their new home, they will also have access to wonderful care.
The head of education at the aquarium, Sara Al-Ghamdi, was thrilled to welcome these penguins home. She had this to say about the penguins, “The species is native to South America, mainly to the coasts of Chile and Peru. The aquarium has put great care and effort into designing and building a home that duplicates the penguins’ natural habitat. It took more than a year to create a world-class exhibit using the experience of different fields of expertise by national and international civil engineers, biologists, veterinarians and specialists in life-support systems from four continents.”
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