LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Zoo is celebrating three new additions to their penguin family.
According to a release from zoo officials, the first chick hatched Oct. 28 to Miramar and Rabbit; the second hatched Nov. 4 to Eudyptula and Granite; the youngest hatched Nov. 15 to Clarkie and Boost.
“Our aviculturists are doing great work," said Louisville Zoo executive director Dan Maloney. "With November’s first-ever East African crowned crane hatchling in the Zoo’s 52-year history and now these three Little Penguins, there is much to celebrate!”
The three chicks are currently nesting off-site with their parents and are expected to make their first appearance in the spring.
According to a press release from the zoo, only about 500,000 Little Penguins still exist in the wild and can mostly be found in Australia and New Zealand. Even though the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) created a Species Survival Plan for these birds, their numbers are slowly declining due to habitat loss and being attacked by domesticated pets.
More chicks are expected to hatch soon.
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