Wildlife park announces birth of endangered African penguin

The North Georgia Wildlife Park in White County has announced the birth of their first Georgia-grown African penguin, an endangered species.

The baby was born Oct. 5 and is doing well, but is being monitored closely to ensure future health, the park announced. The newborn was almost 2.5 ounces at its first weigh-in but has grown to almost four pounds. To facilitate this rapid weight gain, the baby has been eating three times as many fish than the adults, says Zoo Director Hope Bennett.

North Georgia Wildlife Park also hosts four full-grown African penguins named Mabel, Beans, Mark and Oyster. Mabel and Beans are the proud parents of the new baby.

African Penguins are endangered species due to commercial fisheries and habitat loss in their native land of Southern Africa. They also struggle with their eggs not being viable for a birth both in the wild and in captivity.

“Egg viability is only at about 40%,” says Melissa Burns, the penguins’ primary handler.

At the turn of the 19th century there were believed to be around 40 million African penguins. Their numbers have dwindled to under 50,000, according to North Georgia Wildlife Park, which partners with the African Penguin and Sea Bird Sanctuary to strengthen conservation efforts and slow the population decline.

“We like to focus on the smaller guys,” Burns says. “... everyone knows about lions and tigers. We want to showcase the lesser-known species that need our help.”

Part of all admissions to the North Georgia Wildlife Park contribute to conservation efforts. For the next year, penguin sponsorship are available online to help conservation efforts, while receiving perks such as an up-close penguin experience or having a sponsor’s name on the exhibit.

The new exhibit space has been eight months in the making, and the zoo hopes the work is completed by spring 2022, Bennett says. The addition will include a large pool with a filtration system to keep out debris and a rocky beach area that will mimic the look of the African coast line.

More on African penguins

Black Foot African penguins grow to be about 2 feet tall and weigh between 5-10 pounds. They thrive in warm temperatures making them easily adapt to the temperate climate of North Georgia. They’ve been coined the “jackass” penguin because they communicate through braying that sounds like a donkey.

Male and female African penguins appear nearly identical and gender can only be determined by genetic testing at birth, so expect a highly anticipated gender reveal in the future.