World Penguin Day is April 25, and the Newport Aquarium is inviting guests to celebrate with them.
The aquarium has two important things to celebrate in the penguin world: the hatching of a king penguin chick and the reopening of Penguin Encounters, a warm-weather exhibit where guests can see African penguins.
Head over to the cold-weather Penguin Palooza habitat to meet the baby king penguin for the first time. The baby was born to mom Dumas and dad Indy in February of this year, and guests now get the chance to see the whole waddling family.
“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 in a press release. “The chick’s mom was born here back in 2006 so, in a way, we’re grandparents!” Darnell is part of the penguin team that has gained success with breeding penguins through the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan.
On the sunnier side, the warm-weather African penguin's habitat had now reopened after renovations. The penguins will enjoy more room and guests will be able to enjoy a hands-on encounter — even getting to feel the penguin's “thick coat of waterproof feathers," according to the aquarium's press release. The aquarium says this encounter helps generate funds that will go toward conservation efforts.
On National Penguin Day, biologists will also be available to chat more about conservation efforts in penguin habitats and how they care for the penguins at the aquarium.
The Newport Aquarium is located at One Levee Way, Newport on the Levee. Find more information at newportaquarium.com.Stay connected with CityBeat. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google News, Apple News and Reddit.
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