Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Celebrates Birth of Baby Penguins

GATLINBURG, Tenn., February 26, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is celebrating the historical birth of three African black-footed baby penguins.

Haley and Glen are the proud parents to two baby penguins, weighing in at 63 grams and 61 grams. The third penguin, weighing in at 60 grams, was born to proud parents Nick and Doza.

We are excited about the births of these new baby penguins. It is a historical event at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies any time a baby penguin is born. Any birth is a beautiful thing here at the aquarium, but the birth of an endangered animal is truly spectacular. Best of all, the babies are ridiculously cute.

Ryan DeSear, Regional Manager of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

The baby penguins are doing well and are being monitored around the clock by the experienced Ripley Husbandry team.

In Ripley’s Penguin Playhouse, burrowed nesting boxes and mud holes have been built into the rocky habitat for nest building. In the wild, mature birds lay two eggs in the nest, which is protected from the sun and most predators, and both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks for two to four months. African penguins breed in huge, noisy colonies and the mating pair stays together in a tight bond for their entire life.

African penguins are considered endangered, which means they are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Major reasons include depletion of their food from overfishing and pollution. Since 1930, the African penguin population has dropped from an estimated one million down to 55,000. 

Names Needed!

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies wants your help in naming the new baby penguins. They are taking submissions on their website until March 4, 2018. Once the top names are collected, they will hold a voting contest starting on March 7, 2018, to name the new baby penguins.

Visit RipleysAquariumOfTheSmokies.com to submit your names!

Video of the baby penguins: B-Roll | YouTube

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MEDIA CONTACT

Suzanne Smagala-Potts
Public Relations Manager
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
O: 407-345-8010
C: 727-439-0136
[email protected]

Source: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies