Aquarium welcomes third endangered penguin chick in less than a month
Last December, staff at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey, celebrated the arrival of two newly hatched African penguin chicks (Demersus spheniscus). Their births marked an important moment in conservation efforts for these critically endangered species, but more good news was apparently on the way.
Less than a month after welcoming Duffy and Oscar to the flock, Adventure Aquarium announced another newcomer. But instead of naming the facility’s 53rd penguin themselves, aquarium managers are turning to local visitors for feedback.
Adventure Aquarium’s youngest penguin is not Duffy and Oscar’s younger brother, but the second newborn of penguin parents Mushu and Hubert (for reference, Duffy and Oscar’s parents are named Myer and Cornelia). In a statement, Maddie Olszewski-Pohle, the facility’s senior African penguin biologist, said she and her colleagues were “very excited” about the latest addition.
“Both parents did an exceptional job feeding and caring for this chick, which is the biggest of the season,” she added.
Three newborn African penguin chicks at Adventure Aquarium
African penguin populations are declining due to the climate crisis, but their struggle began 22,000 years ago. Penguins thrived on 15 large islands near South Africa during the period of the Last Glacial Maximum, totaling up to 18.8 million birds. However, rising ocean levels have gradually submerged much of their habitat. Only around 19,800 adults are estimated to live in the wild today, and in 2024 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List reclassified African penguins from Endangered to Critically Endangered. In addition to habitat conservation, penguin farms, including Adventure Aquarium, Columbian Park Zoo in Indiana, and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, play an instrumental role in stabilizing the population.
For now, Adventure Aquarium staff will care for the new chick with Duffy and Oscar behind the scenes. The trio will only make their public debut once they have grown their protective, waterproof feathers. Until then, visitors to the Adventure Aquarium are encouraged to make their voices heard. A contribution to on-site donation boxes benefiting both AZA SAFE African Penguins and the Southern African Coastal Bird Conservation Foundation will allow visitors to the aquarium located just outside Philadelphia to vote between one of four potential names: Scrappy, Zero, Flounder and Toothless.
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