Endangered African penguin chick makes his debut at Coney's New York Aquarium * Brooklyn Paper

"The population of African penguins, which are native to the coasts of Namibia and South Africa, has dropped 60% in the past decade, according to the IUCN Red List, and there are only around 19,800 adult African penguins left in the wild."

"For four months, the penguin's keepers have been carefully tracking his milestones and growth. African penguins are 'pudgy, flightless' birds, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and very clumsy on land but great swimmers and divers."

"He has shed his fluffy baby down and grown waterproof feathers, learned to swim and hop around on the rocks of his habitat, and socialize with the other penguins."

"In the last 20 years, the population of African penguins in the program has grown by 47%."

A four-month-old African penguin chick has joined a colony at the New York Aquarium, representing a victory for the species. African penguins face severe threats, including habitat loss and overfishing, leading to a 60% population decline in the last decade. The aquarium participates in a Species Survival Plan to ensure healthy, genetically-diverse populations in captivity. The chick has shown remarkable growth, gaining weight and developing skills like swimming and socializing, and is the 19th African penguin hatched at the aquarium, contributing to a 47% increase in the program's population over 20 years.

Read at Brooklyn Paper