There is a new arrival in the penguin rookery at uShaka
Snoop Dogg and Levi are the proud and protective parents of a new African Penguin chick which recently hatched and is being raised at uShaka Sea World.
THE African Penguin colony at uShaka Sea World has a new addition, a chubby little penguin hatched at uShaka on July 8 and was given the name Victory.
According to the South African Association for Marine Biological Research, Ann Kunz the staff named the tiny 89g chick Victory as it seemed the only fitting name for such an epic little penguin. “The parents, Snoop Dogg and Levi, managed to hatch out the newest addition to our African Penguin colony on July 8. It is impossible to tell with certainly whether a penguin chick is male or female but judging by his solid weight gain, the staff are guessing that Victory is a young male,” said Kunz.
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Kunz says that Snoop Dogg and Levi are doing a great job of rearing Victory, who has put on 1.31kg since hatching. “Managing a healthy assurance population of endangered and endemic species is really a critical role that aquariums play worldwide. African Penguin population numbers have plummeted over the last few decades and scientists believe that at this rate the African Penguin could be functionally extinct in the wild within the next two decades,” said Kunz.
“As part of a Species Survival Plan, we are responsible for making sure that we have a healthy and genetically diverse colony that, if need be, could contribute to ensuring that these charismatic birds do not go extinct. We are part of the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan committee and continue to look for solutions to successfully save the African Penguin. We hope that Victory and the rest of the colony will inspire people to continue to contribute to conserving the ocean, penguin breeding sites and fishing stocks to ensure the survival of these special birds,” said the SAAMBR spokesperson.
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Kunz says that Victory will soon start requiring less and less parental care and will start feeding on his own and enjoying life with the rest of the colony.
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