Potter Park is celebrating the birth of a Magellanic
penguin chick.
The endangered birds are native to the southern parts of South America.
“The arrival of this Magellanic penguin chick is a testament to our dedication to conservation at Potter Park Zoo," Animal Care Supervisor Pat Fountain said in a press release.
"We’re very happy to see the strong bonds forming between the chick and its parents, as well as the unwavering commitment of our animal care team."
The male chick hatched in early July, weighing just 69 grams. He now weighs more than 1.5 kilograms. His parents are two penguins named Skipper and Jayde.
“The male chick is growing in size and appears healthy,” Dr. Ronan Eustace, Director of Animal Health at Potter Park Zoo, said in the release.
While the bird is still young, members of the zoo’s animal care team will be sporadically bringing him out into the sun for an hour every day for vitamin D exposure, giving zoo visitors a chance to see the chick.
