Move Over Peaches: Georgia Aquarium’s Got Penguin Chicks

By: Caroline Ashburn

In January, the Georgia Aquarium welcomed four new African penguin chicks!

This marks the fourth consecutive year of penguin chicks from their successful breeding program. The chicks have been growing and doing well in the Penguin Nursery, maturing and growing rapidly, just as they should. In fact, to ensure they are hitting the right milestones, veterinary exams are held daily.

Soon, they will live in the nursery to continue to grow, develop relationships with their trainers, and learn to eat fish fillets and full size fish once they’re big enough, of course.

But at first, they will just be adjusting to the nursery. At the age of 70 days, they will begin to shed their buoyant, waterproof feathers. Once they are all gone, they will begin learning to swim in the nursery pool before eventually moving out to the big world with the other adult penguins.

The Georgia Aquarium is also dedicated to their conservation – they are partnered with SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) to study free range African penguins in Namibia and conduct health assessments, which allows scientists to understand more about them and better protect their species.

They are on the IUCN red list as “endangered,” so learning about African penguins and how to protect them is crucial.

The chicks that have just hatched are a joy, make sure to follow the Georgia Aquarium for updates as these (currently) brown, fluffy birds become black and white stunning adults.

Photos and video courtesy of the Georgia Aquarium.