DOCSLIB.ORG

AZA Animal Care Manuals (Acms) When Making Acquisition Decisions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
AZA Animal Care Manuals (Acms) When Making Acquisition Decisions PENGUIN (Spheniscidae) CARE MANUAL CREATED BY THE PENGUIN TAXON ADVISORY GROUP IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AZA ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE Penguin (Spheniscidae) Care Manual Penguin (Spheniscidae) Care Manual Published by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in association with the AZA Animal Welfare Committee Formal Citation: AZA Penguin Taxon Advisory Group. (2014). Penguin (Spheniscidae) Care Manual. Silver Spring, MD: Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Original Completion Date: August 2014 Authors and Significant Contributors: Tom Schneider, Detroit Zoological Society Lauren DuBois, Sea World California Diane Olsen, Moody Gardens Jessica Jozwiak, Detroit Zoological Society Cheryl Dykstra, John Ball Zoo Ed Diebold, Riverbanks Zoo Stephanie Huettner, Omaha Zoo Roberta Wallace, Milwaukee County Zoo Sherry Branch, Sea World Florida Alex Waier, Milwaukee County Zoo Gayle Sirpenski, Mystic Aquarium Kerri Slifka, Dallas Zoo Steve Sarro, National Zoo Roy McClements, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Karen Waterfall, Albuquerque Biopark (deceased) Linda Henry, Sea World California Heather Urquhart, New England Aquarium Reviewers: Dee Boersma, University of Washington Pierre de Wit, Zoo Emmen AZA Staff Editors: Maya Seaman, MS, Animal Care Manual Publication Specialist Felicia Spector, MA, Animal Care Manual Editor Consultant Shelly Grow, Director, Conservation Programs Debborah Luke, PhD, Senior Vice President, Conservation & Science Cover Photo Credits: Mike Aguilera, Steve Sarro, Heather Urquhart, Bob Flores and Amanda Ista Disclaimer: This manual presents a compilation of knowledge provided by recognized animal experts based on the current science, practice, and technology of animal management. The manual assembles basic requirements, best practices, and animal care recommendations to maximize capacity for excellence in animal care and welfare. The manual should be considered a work in progress, since practices continue to evolve through advances in scientific knowledge. The use of information within this manual should be in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning the care of animals. While some government laws and regulations may be referenced in this manual, these are not all-inclusive nor is this manual intended to serve as an evaluation tool for those agencies. The recommendations included are not meant to be exclusive management approaches, diets, medical treatments, or procedures, and may require adaptation to meet the specific needs of individual animals and particular circumstances in each institution. Commercial entities and media identified are not necessarily endorsed by AZA. The statements presented throughout the body of the manual do not represent AZA standards of care unless specifically identified as such in clearly marked sidebar boxes. Association of Zoos and Aquariums 2 Penguin (Spheniscidae) Care Manual Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Taxonomic Classification ...................................................................................................................... 5 Genus, Species, and Status ................................................................................................................. 5 General Information ............................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1. Ambient Environment ........................................................................................................ 7 1.1 Temperature and Humidity ............................................................................................................ 7 1.2 Light ................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Water and Air Quality ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Sound and Vibration ..................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2. Habitat Design and Containment .................................................................................. 12 2.1 Space and Complexity .................................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Safety and Containment ............................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 3. Transport ............................................................................................................................. 18 3.1 Preparations ................................................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Protocols ......................................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 4. Social Environment ........................................................................................................... 24 4.1 Group Structure and Size ............................................................................................................ 24 4.2 Influence of Others and Conspecifics ........................................................................................ 25 4.3 Introductions and Reintroductions .............................................................................................. 26 Chapter 5. Nutrition ............................................................................................................................... 28 5.1 Nutritional Requirements .............................................................................................................. 28 5.2 Diets ................................................................................................................................................ 32 5.3 Nutritional Evaluations .................................................................................................................. 34 Chapter 6. Veterinary Care .................................................................................................................. 35 6.1 Veterinary Services ....................................................................................................................... 35 6.2 Identification Methods ................................................................................................................... 36 6.3 Transfer Examination and Diagnostic Testing Recommendations ........................................ 37 6.4 Quarantine ...................................................................................................................................... 38 6.5 Preventive Medicine ...................................................................................................................... 39 6.6 Capture, Restraint, and Immobilization ...................................................................................... 41 6.7 Management of Diseases, Disorders, Injuries and/or Isolation.............................................. 42 Chapter 7. Reproduction ...................................................................................................................... 51 7.1 Reproductive Physiology and Behavior ..................................................................................... 51 7.2 Assisted Reproductive Technology ............................................................................................ 52 7.3 Pregnancy & Egg-laying ............................................................................................................... 53 7.4 Birthing/Hatching Facilities .......................................................................................................... 56 7.5 Assisted Rearing ........................................................................................................................... 59 7.6 Contraception ................................................................................................................................. 64 Chapter 8. Behavior Management ..................................................................................................... 65 8.1 Animal Training .............................................................................................................................. 65 8.2 Environmental Enrichment ........................................................................................................... 65 8.3 Staff and Animal Interactions ...................................................................................................... 66 8.4 Staff Skills and Training ................................................................................................................ 67 Chapter 9. Program Animals ............................................................................................................... 68 9.1 Program Animal Policy ................................................................................................................. 68 Association of Zoos and Aquariums 3 Penguin (Spheniscidae) Care Manual 9.2 Institutional Program Animal Plans............................................................................................. 69 9.3 Program Evaluation .....................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus Humboldti Population in Chile: Counts of Moulting Birds, February 1999–2008
    Wallace & Araya: Humboldt Penguin population in Chile 107 HUMBOLDT PENGUIN SPHENISCUS HUMBOLDTI POPULATION IN CHILE: COUNTS OF MOULTING BIRDS, FEBRUARY 1999–2008 ROBERTA S. WALLACE1 & BRAULIO ARAYA2 1Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 W. Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA ([email protected]) 2Calle Lima 193. Villa Alemana, V Región, Chile Received 19 August 2014, accepted 9 December 2014 SUMMARY WALLACE, R.S. & ARAYA, B. 2015. Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti population in Chile: counts of moulting birds, February 1999–2008. Marine Ornithology 43: 107–112 We conducted annual counts of moulting Humboldt Penguins roosting on the mainland coast and on offshore islands in north and central Chile during 1999–2008. The census area included the known major breeding colonies in Chile, where many penguins moult, as well as other sites. Population size was relatively stable across years, with an average of 33 384 SD 2 372 (range: 28 642–35 284) penguins counted, but the number of penguins found at any individual site could vary widely. Shifting penguin numbers suggest that penguins tend to aggregate to moult where food is abundant. While many of the major breeding sites are afforded some form of protected status, two sites with sizable penguin populations, Tilgo Island and Pájaros-1 Island, have no official protection. These census results provide a basis upon which future population trends can be compared. Key words: penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, census, Chile INTRODUCTION penguin taking less than three weeks to moult (Paredes et al. 2003). Penguins remain on land during moult, and they return to The Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti is a species endemic sea immediately after moulting (Zavalaga & Paredes 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Fidelity to Nest Site and Mate in Fiordland Crested Penguins 37
    1999 St Clair et al.: Fidelity to nest site and mate in Fiordland Crested Penguins 37 FIDELITY TO NEST SITE AND MATE IN FIORDLAND CRESTED PENGUINS EUDYPTES PACHYRHYNCHUS COLLEEN CASSADY ST CLAIR1, IAN G. McLEAN2,3, JAN O. MURIE1, STEPHEN M. PHILLIPSON4 & BELINDA J.S. STUDHOLME5 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada ([email protected]) 2Department of Zoology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 1, New Zealand 3Current Address: Natural Heritage Division, Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, West Perth, WA 6005, Australia 4Department of Conservation, PO Box 8, Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand 546A Hackthorne Road, Christchurch 2, New Zealand SUMMARY ST CLAIR, C.C., McLEAN, I.G., MURIE, J.O., PHILLIPSON, S.M. & STUDHOLME, B.J.S. 1999. Fidelity to nest site and mate in Fiordland Crested Penguins Eudyptes pachyrhynchus. Marine Ornithology 27: 37–41. Fiordland Crested Penguins Eudyptes pachyrhynchus are the least gregarious of the crested penguins, breed- ing in caves, burrows, and under dense vegetation along the coast of Fiordland, New Zealand. A popula- tion on Open Bay Island was monitored, with varying degrees of intensity, from 1988 to 1995. During this period, 175 adults were banded in three semi-contiguous areas and their returns to 46 mapped nest sites were recorded. In 1989, reproductive success to the crèche stage was also known. Return rates (used here as minimum annual survival estimates) ranged from 53–83% with means of 71% for both sexes. Mean nest fidelity averaged 76% for males and 72% for females with slightly lower values for mate fidelity (64% for males, 62% for females).
    [Show full text]
  • Southernmost Record of the Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus Magellanicus in Antarctica
    Barbosa et al.: Southernmost record of the Magellanic Penguin in Antarctica 79 SOUTHERNMOST RECORD OF THE MAGELLANIC PENGUIN SPHENISCUS MAGELLANICUS IN ANTARCTICA ANDRÉS BARBOSA1, LUIS M. ORTEGA-MORA2, FRANCISCO T. GARCÍA-MORENO3, FRANCISCO VALERA1 & MARIA JOSÉ PALACIOS1 1Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC C/General Segura, 1, E-04001, Almería, Spain ([email protected]) 2Grupo SALUVET, Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, E-28040, Madrid, Spain 3Jefatura de Apoyo Veterinario, Inspección General de Sanidad de la Defensa, Clínicas Especiales, planta 5, Glorieta del Ejército s/n, E-28047, Madrid, Spain Received 15 June 2006, accepted 4 November 2006 The Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus breeds along We photographed a single Magellanic Penguin on Avian Island the southern South American coast from Cape Horn to central (67°46′S, 68°43′W), Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula on Chile on the Pacific coast and to central Argentina on the Atlantic 18 February 2006 in the presence of Adélie Penguins Pygoscelis coast. It also breeds in the Falkland Islands at 54°S (del Hoyo et al. adeliae. The bird was completing its moult into adult plumage and 1992, Williams 1995). During winter, the non-breeding distribution appeared to be healthy (Fig. 1). From the pale brown appearance extends northwards as far as 30°S on the Pacific Chilean coast and of the few old feathers still attached to the bird, it is likely, but to southern Brazil (23°S) on the Atlantic (del Hoyo et al. 1992). not completely certain, that it was in juvenile plumage when it There are vagrant non-breeding records from Australia and New commenced its moult.
    [Show full text]
  • African Penguin Colony
    An Innovative and Inspiring Space for a Growing African Penguin Colony enguins are among the most iconic and beloved avian groups, and the PCincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is embarking on an opportunity to further their engagement in care and conservation of African Penguins. This species in particular is endangered in their native range and requires the collective focus of zoos, aquariums, and other conservation organizations to ensure its survival into the future. The Cincinnati Zoo is seeking to construct a new habitat space for African Penguins that will allow for our colony to grow from 11 birds to 30+, which will contribute immensely to ex-situ conservation efforts, not to mention inspiring our visitors to care more about the species’ plight. A brand new habitat offers the opportunity to dream and innovate and truly bring the best experience to its animal residents. The new African Penguin habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo will be three times larger than the current space and offer a variety of new habitat feature to maximize their welfare, including: a dynamic pool area to encourage natural swimming behavior and exercise, natural substrates to dig into and to promote improved foot health, outdoor heating and cooling so that penguins can stay outside longer in the year, and a dramatically larger indoor bedroom area with a pool and UV-transmitting skylights to ensure health and comfort during our Cincinnati winter. African Penguin reproduction will be a key goal of this new habitat, and the new habitat and bedroom area will offer the opportunity to expand our nesting sites and maximize successful rearing of chicks.
    [Show full text]
  • Colour Aberrations in African Penguins 19 COLOUR ABERRATIONS in AFRICAN PENGUINS SPHENISCUS DEMERSUS
    Traisnel et al.: Colour aberrations in African Penguins 19 COLOUR ABERRATIONS IN AFRICAN PENGUINS SPHENISCUS DEMERSUS GWENDOLINE TRAISNEL1, LORIEN PICHEGRU1, HENVIK J. VISSER2 & LLOYD C. EDWARDS3 1 DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology at the Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa ([email protected]) 2 Addo Elephant Marine Section, South African National Parks, Port Elizabeth, South Africa 3 Raggy Charters, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Received 31 July 2017, accepted 3 October 2017 ABSTRACT TRAISNEL, G., PICHEGRU, L., VISSER, H.J. & EDWARDS, L.C. 2018. Colour aberrations in African Penguins Spheniscus demersus. Marine Ornithology 46: 19–22. Colour aberrations among wild birds are of long-time interest because they are uncommon, particularly in seabirds, although recent publications have revealed varying forms of aberrations in cormorants and penguins. In African Penguins Spheniscus demersus, there have been previous sightings of abnormal plumages, particularly in Algoa Bay, South Africa. This paper reveals new cases of plumage aberrations in African Penguins: leucism, “brown,” and phaeomelanism, all within Algoa Bay. While all aberrations seemed of natural origin, one in the shape of a number eight may have resulted from human actions. Key words: African Penguin, abnormal plumages, Algoa Bay, leucism, phaeomelanism, “brown” INTRODUCTION but also an effort on the part of the scientific community to report these rare observations. For example, albinism has been recently Production of melanin pigments eumelanin and phaeomelanin recorded in shags and cormorants (Cook et al. 2012, Crossland can be subject to alterations, both of heritable and non-heritable 2012), as has isabel (incorrect term, as the mutation involved was origin, resulting in abnormalities in plumage colour (van Grouw “brown”) (Oosthuizen & De Bruyn, 2009) and ino (Juàres et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Species Status Assessment Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes Fosteri)
    SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT EMPEROR PENGUIN (APTENODYTES FOSTERI) Emperor penguin chicks being socialized by male parents at Auster Rookery, 2008. Photo Credit: Gary Miller, Australian Antarctic Program. Version 1.0 December 2020 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services Program Branch of Delisting and Foreign Species Falls Church, Virginia Acknowledgements: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Penguins are flightless birds that are highly adapted for the marine environment. The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. Emperors are near the top of the Southern Ocean’s food chain and primarily consume Antarctic silverfish, Antarctic krill, and squid. They are excellent swimmers and can dive to great depths. The average life span of emperor penguin in the wild is 15 to 20 years. Emperor penguins currently breed at 61 colonies located around Antarctica, with the largest colonies in the Ross Sea and Weddell Sea. The total population size is estimated at approximately 270,000–280,000 breeding pairs or 625,000–650,000 total birds. Emperor penguin depends upon stable fast ice throughout their 8–9 month breeding season to complete the rearing of its single chick. They are the only warm-blooded Antarctic species that breeds during the austral winter and therefore uniquely adapted to its environment. Breeding colonies mainly occur on fast ice, close to the coast or closely offshore, and amongst closely packed grounded icebergs that prevent ice breaking out during the breeding season and provide shelter from the wind. Sea ice extent in the Southern Ocean has undergone considerable inter-annual variability over the last 40 years, although with much greater inter-annual variability in the five sectors than for the Southern Ocean as a whole.
    [Show full text]
  • Longevity in Little Penguins Eudyptula Minor
    71 LONGEVITY IN LITTLE PENGUINS EUDYPTULA MINOR PETER DANN1, MELANIE CARRON2, BETTY CHAMBERS2, LYNDA CHAMBERS2, TONY DORNOM2, AUSTIN MCLAUGHLIN2, BARB SHARP2, MARY ELLEN TALMAGE2, RON THODAY2 & SPENCER UNTHANK2 1 Research Group, Phillip Island Nature Park, PO Box 97, Cowes, Phillip Island, Victoria, 3922, Australia ([email protected]) 2 Penguin Study Group, PO Box 97, Cowes, Phillip Island, Victoria, 3922, Australia Received 17 June 2005, accepted 18 November 2005 Little Penguins Eudyptula minor live around the mainland and Four were females, two were males and one was of unknown sex offshore islands of southern Australia and New Zealand (Marchant (Table 1). The oldest of the birds was a male that was banded by the & Higgins 1990). They are the smallest penguin species extant, Penguin Study Group as a chick before fledging on Phillip Island breeding in burrows and coming ashore only after nightfall. Most on 2 January 1976 in a part of the colony known as “the Penguin of their mortality appears to result from processes occurring at sea Parade.” This bird was not recorded again after initial banding (Dann 1992). The average life expectancy of breeding adult birds until it was five years old and was found raising two chicks at the is approximately 6.5 years (Reilly & Cullen 1979, Dann & Cullen Penguin Parade. This individual had a bill depth measurement 12% 1990, Dann et al. 1995); however, some individuals in southeastern less than the mean for male penguins from Phillip Island (Arnould Australia have lived far in excess of the average life expectancy. et al. 2004), but was classified as a male based on the sex of its mates (sexed as females from the presence of cloacal distension Approximately 44 000 birds have been flipper-banded on Phillip following egg-laying or from their bill-depth measurements).
    [Show full text]
  • Introducing the Emperor of Antarctica
    Read the passage. Then answer the question below. Introducing the Emperor of Antarctica A plump five-foot figure, wearing what looks like a tuxedo, walks across a frozen landscape. Suddenly, the figure drops to its belly and paddles its limbs as if swimming. Sound strange? Actually, it is the emperor of Antarctica…the emperor penguin, that is. One could easily argue that the emperor penguin is the king of survival. These amazing creatures live in the harshest climate on earth. Temperatures in Antarctica regularly reach –60°C and blizzards can last for days. But in this frigid world, the emperors swim, play, breed, and raise their chicks. Although emperor penguins are birds, they are unable to take flight. Rather, they do their “flying” in the water. Their flipper-like wings and sleek bodies make them expert swimmers. Emperors are able to dive deeper than any other bird and can stay under water for up to 22 minutes. The emperors are so at home in the water that young penguins enter the water when they are just six months old. Like many birds, the emperor penguins migrate during the winter. This migration, however, is very different. Each year, as winter approaches, the penguins leave the comfort—and food supply—of the ocean to begin a 70-mile journey across the ice. Walking single file, the penguins waddle along for days, flopping to their bellies and pushing themselves along with their flippers when their feet get tired. Along the way, colonies of penguins meet up with other colonies all headed for the same place—the safety of their breeding grounds.
    [Show full text]
  • A Global Population Assessment of the Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN A global population assessment of the Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) Noah Strycker1*, Michael Wethington2, Alex Borowicz2, Steve Forrest2, Chandi Witharana3, Tom Hart4 & Heather J. Lynch2,5 Using satellite imagery, drone imagery, and ground counts, we have assembled the frst comprehensive global population assessment of Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) at 3.42 (95th-percentile CI: [2.98, 4.00]) million breeding pairs across 375 extant colonies. Twenty-three previously known Chinstrap penguin colonies are found to be absent or extirpated. We identify fve new colonies, and 21 additional colonies previously unreported and likely missed by previous surveys. Limited or imprecise historical data prohibit our assessment of population change at 35% of all Chinstrap penguin colonies. Of colonies for which a comparison can be made to historical counts in the 1980s, 45% have probably or certainly declined and 18% have probably or certainly increased. Several large colonies in the South Sandwich Islands, where conditions apparently remain favorable for Chinstrap penguins, cannot be assessed against a historical benchmark. Our population assessment provides a detailed baseline for quantifying future changes in Chinstrap penguin abundance, sheds new light on the environmental drivers of Chinstrap penguin population dynamics in Antarctica, and contributes to ongoing monitoring and conservation eforts at a time of climate change and concerns over declining krill abundance in the Southern Ocean. Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) are abundant in Antarctica, with past estimates ranging from 3–8 million breeding pairs, and are considered a species of “least concern” by BirdLife International1, but the popula- tion dynamics of this species are not well understood and several studies have highlighted signifcant declines at monitored sites2–6.
    [Show full text]
  • Genomic Characterisation of a Novel Avipoxvirus Isolated from an Endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin (Megadyptes Antipodes)
    viruses Article Genomic Characterisation of a Novel Avipoxvirus Isolated from an Endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) Subir Sarker 1,* , Ajani Athukorala 1, Timothy R. Bowden 2,† and David B. Boyle 2 1 Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; [email protected] 2 CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia; [email protected] (T.R.B.); [email protected] (D.B.B.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +61-3-9479-2317; Fax: +61-3-9479-1222 † Present address: CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia. Abstract: Emerging viral diseases have become a significant concern due to their potential con- sequences for animal and environmental health. Over the past few decades, it has become clear that viruses emerging in wildlife may pose a major threat to vulnerable or endangered species. Diphtheritic stomatitis, likely to be caused by an avipoxvirus, has been recognised as a signifi- cant cause of mortality for the endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) in New Zealand. However, the avipoxvirus that infects yellow-eyed penguins has remained uncharacterised. Here, we report the complete genome of a novel avipoxvirus, penguinpox virus 2 (PEPV2), which was derived from a virus isolate obtained from a skin lesion of a yellow-eyed penguin. The PEPV2 genome is 349.8 kbp in length and contains 327 predicted genes; five of these genes were found to be unique, while a further two genes were absent compared to shearwaterpox virus 2 (SWPV2).
    [Show full text]
  • Developing UAV Monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ Iconic Land-Based Marine Predators
    fmars-08-654215 May 26, 2021 Time: 18:32 # 1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 01 June 2021 doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.654215 Developing UAV Monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ Iconic Land-Based Marine Predators John Dickens1*, Philip R. Hollyman1, Tom Hart2, Gemma V. Clucas3, Eugene J. Murphy1, Sally Poncet4, Philip N. Trathan1 and Martin A. Collins1 1 British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2 Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 3 Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States, 4 South Georgia Survey, Stanley, Falkland Islands Many remote islands present barriers to effective wildlife monitoring in terms of Edited by: challenging terrain and frequency of visits. The sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia Wen-Cheng Wang, National Taiwan Normal University, and the South Sandwich Islands are home to globally significant populations of seabirds Taiwan and marine mammals. South Georgia hosts the largest breeding populations of Antarctic Reviewed by: fur seals, southern elephant seals and king penguins as well as significant populations of Gisele Dantas, wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatross. The island also holds important Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Brazil populations of macaroni and gentoo penguins. The South Sandwich Islands host the Sofie Pollin, world’s largest colony of chinstrap penguins in addition to major populations of Adélie KU Leuven Research & Development, Belgium and macaroni penguins. A marine protected area was created around these islands in *Correspondence: 2012 but monitoring populations of marine predators remains a challenge, particularly John Dickens as these species breed over large areas in remote and often inaccessible locations.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Home for Penguins a New Front Door to the Zoo
    A New Home for Penguins A New Front Door to the Zoo A new, state-of-the-art exhibit draws visitors directly into our mission, educating them about ennis Conner the plight of these enchanting, flightless birds and the actions people can take to save them. D Ryan Hawk AT A GLANCE HABITAT They are the zoo’s natural comedians, a delightful must- natural home. The exhibit also enhances the penguins’ lives Humboldt penguins live along the rugged see animal for visitors of all ages. Yet the penguins’ current with a state-of-the-art biofiltration and rain water harvest- coastline of Peru and Chile exhibit — originally built for seals and sea lions 60 years ing system that dramatically minimizes water loss. Because ago — is well below today’s standards for animal care and Humboldt penguins reside in coastal habitats, the new NUMBER conservation education. penguin exhibit will tell a compelling conservation story Only 10,000-12,000 remain in the wild that resonates with the marine-savvy, Pacific Northwest You can help build a stunning new, naturalistic home OPPORTUNITY specifically designed for penguins, inspiring our guests to community. A new state-of-the art, environmentally take conservation actions on their behalf! With a glass- And, what better way to meet the penguins than through friendly home for breeding endangered Humboldt penguins helps visitors learn wall, underwater viewing is a cornerstone of this signature a new entry to the zoo! Revolutionizing how we welcome how to make choices that keep marine exhibit,COMPLETED allowing guests to see these aquatic acrobats fly and serve our guests, this new “front door” will provide environments healthy while immersing visitors through water at up to 20 m.p.h.
    [Show full text]