The world’s oldest zoo has celebrated World Penguin Day with the arrival of an endangered northern rockhopper penguin chick.
Visitors at the Schoenbrunn Zoo, located in Austria’s capital Vienna, were treated to a glimpse of the zoo’s newest penguin addition ahead of the annual celebration on Thursday, 25th April.
Clips captured from the rockhopper penguin enclosure depicted the chick enjoying a cuddle session with its parents, before zookeepers brought it inside for a snack and a brief check-up.
Zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “In our Polarium, visitors can currently observe how rockhopper penguin pairs raise their young, taking turns warming and feeding them in the nest.”
The little one was reportedly one of two that hatched on 31st March.
Known for its distinctive yellow tufts on the sides of their heads, the species is native to the southern Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans.
It is considered endangered, according to the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, with its main threats being overfishing, pollution, and climate change.
Schoenbrunn Zoo has been in charge of the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP). A population management and conservation programme for northern rockhopper penguins since 2015.
The programme guarantees the development of a rescue plan for the species.
Adorable Rockhopper Penguin Chicks Steal The Show
Hering-Hagenbeck added: “This emergency plan regulates what happens if, for example, an oil spill threatens the colonies in the wild.
“Who could care for the animals in such a case? In such cases, zoological gardens can also help with their expertise.”
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Story By: Georgina Jedikovska, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Newsflash
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