January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day, which aims to raise public awareness of penguin protection. On January 18, on the occasion of Penguin Awareness Day, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom held an event to display the results of penguin breeding. It is reported that the total number of successful penguin breeding in Chimelong will exceed 60 in 2023, making it the largest penguin conservation base in China.
According to reports, white-browed penguins have achieved the breeding miracle of "four generations under one roof" in Zhuhai. That is, last year, white-browed penguins with Zhuhai Chimelong "hukou" have begun to welcome their "three generations". According to the conservation staff of Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, the white-browed penguin has a broad white stripe on its head, a long and slender mouth, red corners, and a red triangle at the corner of its eyes, which makes it look particularly beautiful. They are the largest penguin species after emperor penguins and king penguins. Their adult weight can reach 8.5 kilograms and their height can reach 75 to 80 centimeters. They are also the fastest swimmers in the penguin family, swimming at a speed of up to 100 meters per hour. 36 kilometers per hour.
In the AdĂŠlie Penguin Exhibition Hall, 20 AdĂŠlie penguin babies celebrated their "graduation ceremony" in the "kindergarten". They have gradually completed the moulting stage. They have completely shed their velvet and replaced them with brand new waterproof feathers. They are no longer chubby "kiwi fruits" and can start learning to swim. Soon, they will be able to integrate into the large population of AdĂŠlie penguins. Conservationists said that around September every year, AdĂŠlie penguins begin to look for stones for nesting. The stones prevent the nest and eggs from getting wet from melting ice and snow. AdĂŠlie penguins will often do whatever it takes to steal stones to build their nests. After many years of experience in penguin conservation, Chimelongâs careful team of caretakers have further optimized the time and quantity of placing stones, so that the penguins can fully display their charm, get the stones, and successfully find their âother half.â
The first exhibition of the rare Antarctic chinstrap penguin was held on the same day. It is understood that after 2015 and 2022, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom will welcome another baby chinstrap penguin in 2023. This baby chinstrap penguin is more than 50 days old and is very healthy. It has left the arms of its parents and is learning how to get along with other baby penguins and eat independently in the "kindergarten". The nursery
said that the chick encountered many episodes during its growth. At first, the parent bird father will not regurgitate finely chopped and small amounts of surimi to the baby penguin like the chinstrap penguin mother does, but will always regurgitate larger pieces of fish meat. The baby penguin's small mouth cannot withstand the feeding from the father, and often Hungry. The nursery staff became anxious outside the observation window. After careful evaluation by the team, the nursery staff promptly intervened and fed the baby chinstrap penguin special fish paste, which solved the problem of poor feeding by the father that affected the growth of the chicks.
A reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News learned that all kinds of newborn penguin babies have very lively and active living habits in the first few months after they are born. They like to play in groups and are full of curiosity about new things. In order to ensure that these little guys grow up healthily, the nursery staff pay close attention to their condition and carefully prepare rich food, including herring, saury, krill, etc., to meet their nutritional needs. At the same time, the conservation team also conducts regular physical examinations for them to ensure their health.
text | Reporter Qian Yu
picture |
provided by the interviewee