NewportSaturday, November 7
Newport Aquarium will expand its African penguin colony as the cold-climate penguins move out
The 5AM Covington team
If you've got a penguin fan at home, mark your calendar. Newport Aquarium announced Nov. 6 that it will expand its African penguin colony, and the cold-climate penguins in Penguin Palooza will move to other aquariums and zoos over the next few months.
20,000is the ceiling on African penguins left in the wild
The aquarium's release says fewer than 20,000 African penguins exist in the wild, and the species is classified as critically endangered.
Source: FOX19
The population will grow from a small ambassador group to a full colony. Animal care and veterinary teams spent months planning each placement, weighing every bird's health, age and social relationships. "These penguins have been part of so many family visits over the years, and people are going to miss them," said Rebecca Foster, the aquarium's executive director.
- Farewell celebration: Nov. 20-22
- Tickets: included with general admission or membership
- Weekend extras: memory wall and extended animal care talks
- On view: cold-climate penguins stay through the holiday season
Just 1% of the original African penguin population remains
1%Share of the original African penguin population left, per the aquarium
Source: WVXU, NPR Cincinnati
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Share of the original African penguin population left, per the aquarium | 1% |
Sources: FOX19, WLWT, WVXU, NPR Cincinnati