PREVIEW

Eleven Penguin Chicks Hatch At Chester Zoo. Eleven penguin chicks have hatched at Chester Zoo. The new arrivals are the highly threatened Humboldt penguins, which out of the world’s 17 penguin species are now among the most at risk. The births are the most to hatch during “hatching season” at the zoo for more than 10 years. Both mum and dad have been playing an active role in helping with the care of the youngsters in the nest. Keepers say they are “delighted” to report that each of the chicks has been nurtured beyond the delicate first 40 days of life. This year, the chicks are being named after plants, with Nettle, Thistle, Dandelion, Tulip and Daffodil among the confirmed names so far. Humboldt penguins are becoming increasingly rare and are now listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Found on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile, the penguins face threats from climate change, over-fishing of their natural food sources and rising acidity and temperature levels in the oceans – all causing the penguins to search further from their nests for fish which increases their vulnerability.