Newborn African penguin named after a hot dog
A New Jersey aquarium has welcomed two new residents, just in time for the holidays. On December 20, staff at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden revealed the recent birth of Duffy and Oscar, a pair of African penguins (Demersus spheniscus) and some much-needed good news in light of current conservation concerns.
“These milestones are extremely important for the critically endangered African penguin population, and we couldn’t be prouder to play a role in their future,” the aquarium located just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wrote in a social media post.
Although the current climate crisis has undoubtedly exacerbated the problem, African penguins’ struggle against dwindling numbers dates back 22,000 years. Also known as black-footed, African, or jackass penguins, these birds once thrived on 15 large islands off the coast of South Africa during the period of the Last Glacial Maximum. At their peak, their populations reached approximately 6.4 million and 18.8 million individuals. However, around 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, warming global temperatures began to cause ocean levels to rise, ultimately leading to the sinking of much of the African penguins’ original habitats. Add ecological collapse to the mix, and it is estimated that only about 19,800 adults live outside zoological facilities today, most on small islands near South Africa. In 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) Red List reclassified African penguins from “endangered” to “critically endangered”.
African penguins Duffy and Oscar were born at the Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey
While habitat preservation is a key to the birds’ future, their chances are better thanks to breeding efforts at places like Adventure Aquarium. Duffy and Oscar are the 51st and 52nd African penguins born at the facility and were hatched just over a year after the team’s last penguin siblings, Gabby and Shubert, were born. Although consecutive years of additional penguins would be a boon to their numbers, conservationists are not so lucky. Before Gabby and Shubert, Adventure Aquarium had not welcomed any new hatchlings since 2020.
“Experts predict that African penguins could face functional extinction by 2035 if conservation efforts are not prioritized, highlighting the important work of Adventure Aquarium biologists and breeding team in protecting and conserving the species,” the organization explained in a statement.
As for how Duffy and Oscar got their names: Duffy is in honor of a longtime aquarium staff member, while his brother’s nickname has much humbler origins. Like his father, Myer, Oscar is named after the humble hot dog.
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