A new baby penguin is now on display at the Newport Aquarium just in time to celebrate World Penguin Day.
April 25 is intended to call intention to the plight of penguins around the world, many of which are in danger or threatened, said Ashlyn Irons, public relations manager at the aquarium.
King penguins Dumas and Indy welcomed their new chick in late February, and penguins can now see the chick in Penguin Palooza, the aquarium’s cold-weather penguin habitat.
“It just warms my heart to see the success of our breeding program, a great sign of how happy and healthy the birds are,” said Newport Aquarium Biologist Geneve Darnell. “The chick’s mom was born here back in 2006 so, in a way, we’re grandparents.”
The aquarium is also celebrating the relaunching of Penguin Encounter, the warm weather penguin habitat.
“Guests on the newly relaunched Penguin Encounter will feel like they’re taking a trip to South Africa as they meet a colony of African penguin ambassador animals,” Irons said in a release. “They’ll have a chance to touch the birds to feel their thick coat of waterproof feathers while learning about the animals and their natural habitat.”