There’s a New Chick in Town: First Gentoo Penguin Born at Riverbanks

And baby makes nine…Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is now home to nine gentoo penguins after the birth of a chick earlier this summer. The young bird, currently nameless (his naming rights will be auctioned off at Riverbanks ZOOfari on October 2), was born at the Zoo on June 27 and is being cared for by his parents in a climate-controlled area, off exhibit.

“The new family will be off exhibit for a few more weeks, until the young bird’s adult feathers have grown in,” said Martin Vince, curator of birds at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

Young penguins have a tendency to wander from their parents and can easily fall into the water before they get their adult feathers. The feathers are important because they provide waterproofing and insulation from the cold water (40 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact).

“Zoos often hand feed baby penguins to ensure their safety. For this gentoo penguin, we found a happy medium that kept him with his parents, but eliminated the significant dangers of prematurely falling into the water,” said Vince.

After hatching, the chick was left on the nest where expert parenting from Jack and Zoey resulted in his growing very fast. After about 5 weeks, the chick started to wander. Since the family was mobile, keepers walked them into an off-exhibit area – away from deep water – where they now reside. In his current enclosure, the young penguin has access to a training pool, which is not too deep, so he can prepare to swim in the big pool of the penguin habitat.

The birth of this gentoo penguin is a first for Riverbanks, which has also successfully bred and hatched rockhopper penguins. The eight other gentoo penguins at the Zoo came in 2006 from Sea World Orlando.