New England Aquarium announces birth of first African penguin chick in 4 years

By WBZ Staff

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — The New England Aquarium is celebrating its newest arrival, the first African penguin chick born at the aquarium in four years.

The chick hatched on March 23rd and has since grown to 16 times its hatch weight. Animal care staffers said once its waterproof feathers come in, a blood test will be done to determine its sex.

The chick is expected to join the rest of the African penguins in the aquarium’s exhibit in June. Staffers will also choose a name for the chick at that point and they said it’ll have an educational or conservation tie.

The chick’s family has a long history at the aquarium. Its great-grandmother, who hatched in 1981, is currently the aquarium’s oldest African penguin.

African penguins are an endangered species – the aquarium said their colonies along the south African coast are threatened by overfishing, climate change, and pollution.

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