A baby African penguin that was born at the New England Aquarium three months ago is now fully grown and on display, joining the rest of the penguin colony, aquarium staff said.
The penguin, named “Bray” by staff after the vocalizations African penguins make, was born on March 23 and has been raised by her parents and Animal Care trainers. She was told that she has been growing rapidly and now she weighs 6.6 lbs, more than 42 times her birth weight.
“In the early stages, the parents provide most of the care, just as they would in the wild,” said Amanda Barr, head penguin trainer. “As she got older, we began teaching her to be hand-fed by our animal care team so she would be ready to join the rest of the exhibit colony.”
In preparation for moving into the exhibit, she received a complete physical examination along with a blood test to determine her sex, as well as a complete physical examination. She is now surrounded by several relatives, including great-grandmother Deco, who is the oldest penguin in the Aquarium at 41 years old. African penguins have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years in their natural habitat along the coast of South Africa and Namibia, she told herself.
African penguins are an endangered species. Due to overfishing, oil spills and climate change, the world population has decreased by 97% in the last century. Without the attention and efforts of humans and conservation organizations like the Aquarium, the species could be extinct by 2035, it was reported.
