Download Penguin WILD Encounter at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Penguin WILD Encounter at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
(updated 2/13)
PENGUIN WILD ENCOUNTER SCRIPT 2013
INTRODUCTION:
Hello and welcome to Rock Island at The Maryland Zoo! My name is _____________________ and I am a
______________ here at the zoo. I’m here today with ______________________ and ________________, two of
the keepers here who are responsible for the day to day care of our colony.
We have a colony of about 50 African black-footed penguins – these are not cold-climate penguins. They are native
to South Africa -- a region where the temperature can range from 45-85 degrees, similar to the weather here in
Baltimore.
Right now, the keepers are feeding the penguins – this happens twice a day, and it’s important that they stay focused
on that job, because they need to keep track of how much each individual penguin is eating. This allows them to
ensure that each penguin receives the nutrition that it needs and to monitor their overall health.
While the keepers are busy feeding the penguins, I’d love to tell you a little bit about our colony here at the Zoo and
about penguins in the wild.
PENGUINS: BIRDS WITH ADAPTATIONS TO AN AQUATIC LIFESTYLE:
Does anybody notice what the penguins are eating? The keepers are feeding them fish. Penguins may look kind of
silly and clumsy on land, but they are actually great swimmers and hunters with many adaptations that help them
catch the fish that they need to survive.
One of the first things that you might notice about a penguin is its color. Penguins are birds, and are covered in tiny
black and white feathers that help them stay warm and dry in the water. The color of the feathers helps them blend
in with the environment – it’s a form of camouflage called countershading. The dark color on their back blends in
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with the water when viewed from above and the light color on their belly blends in when viewed from below. This
helps them hide from predators and from the fish that they eat.
Another thing that you might notice about penguins is their unusual shape – their legs are placed far back on their
bodies, so they stand almost vertically, and their bodies are cylindrical. Penguins waddle awkwardly on land, but
move very quickly through the water because the shape of their bodies produces very little drag – kind of like a
torpedo. A penguin is actually one of the most hydrodynamic shapes on the planet! Penguins flap their wings almost
as if they are flying, but instead of flying through the air, they “fly” through the water. They are able to swim very
quickly – about 12 miles per hour.
Penguins are heavier than flighted birds because they have solid bones. This adaptation allows them to dive deep
and catch fish in their strong beaks. They can also hold their breath for long periods of time – about 3-5 minutes. But,
like all birds, they breathe air and have to return to the surface to breathe.
DEPENDENCE ON LAND
Penguins are dependent on the land because they lay eggs that must be kept warm and dry. Since both parents
incubate the eggs, African penguins can go out to sea and hunt for 2-3 days while their partner stays on land with the
eggs. But eventually, they need to return to land and trade with their mate.
THREATS
Overfishing by commercial fisheries is one of the main threats to penguins in the wild. A decline in the amount of fish
means that penguins have to travel further to find enough fish to survive. But penguins need energy to swim, so the
further a penguin has to travel to find fish, the more fish they need to catch. Because of this, overfishing places
tremendous pressure on African penguins. They are now considered an endangered species – in part due to
overfishing, but also because of other human impacts such as habitat destruction and oil spills.
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WHAT ARE WE DOING?
African penguin numbers are declining, but there is hope. The Maryland Zoo and other zoos across the country
participate in a cooperative breeding program called the Species Survival Plan. The Maryland Zoo has one of the
largest colonies of African Penguins in the country and a highly successful breeding program. At any given time, we
have around 50 individual penguins at The Zoo, and more than 950 penguin chicks have hatched here at the Zoo
since 1967, when the colony was established. Sometimes, our penguin chicks are relocated to other zoos and
aquariums. Many penguins at zoos and aquariums across the country hatched right here in Baltimore!
Our animal care team works very hard to ensure that penguins here at the Zoo are healthy – we monitor their diet
closely, identify them by the colored bands on their wings, and regularly test them for Avian Malaria. We even teach
the chicks to swim!
Several organizations are working hard to protect penguins the wild, such as SANCCOB (which stands for the South
African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. SANCCOB does a lot of great conservation and education
work, including helping to clean up and save penguins after oil spills. Back in 2000, there was a catastrophic oil spill
that affected about 40% of the world’s African Penguin population. The Maryland Zoo and many others sent staff
and volunteers to help with cleanup and rescue efforts. Today SANCCOB is still working to protect African penguins
and many other seabirds.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Just by being here today and learning more about African penguins, you are already helping! Thank you for that! And
by telling your friends about African penguins and encouraging them to learn more, you can do even more.
By supporting organizations like The Zoo and SANCCOB, you can help protect wild penguins. We can all also help wild
penguins by making smart choices about the seafood that we choose to eat. By eating sustainably farmed or
harvested seafood, we can reduce pressure on penguins’ food source by commercial fisheries. You can learn more
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about sustainable seafood through the Seafood Watch program. Visit them online, or download the Seafood Watch
app on your phone so that the next time you are shopping or out to dinner, you can make wildlife-friendly choices
about the seafood that you eat.
CONCLUSION
I hope that you all enjoyed learning a little bit more about African penguins! Does anybody have any questions?
Take questions for 5 minutes or so, until you notice a significant number of new people. If nobody has a question, use
the “ask yourself a question” technique. Pick your favorite from the information below and ask “Is anybody
wondering….” For example, if there are molting individuals present – ask “is anybody wondering why that one looks
different from the rest?” Then talk about molting. Or ask “is anybody wondering how the keepers can tell the
penguins apart?” And answer with information about banding/identifying individual penguins.
Once the crowd has turned over, move on to the transition and start again.
TRANSITION:
Those were great questions. Thank you all so much for visiting the Zoo and enjoy the rest of your visit. I notice that
we have quite a few new faces in the crowd, so I’m going to get started with the presentation again.
BACK TO START
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Background Penguin Information – Incorporate when answering questions
 HABITAT AND RANGE
o African Penguins are native to the Southern Cape coast of Africa.
o African penguins are not cold-climate penguins. They live where temperatures range from 45-85 degrees.
o A cold water upwelling brings with it the fish and squid that penguins need to eat in order to survive.
 IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS IN THE COLONY
o Each penguin is assigned an ID number and is given an ID tag on its wing.
 Each color on the band represents a specific number. For example: #10 is white, #4 is orange, and #5 is
yellow. So penguin #1045 would have the tag color white, orange, and yellow.
 Males are banded on the right wing, females are banded on the left wing
 DIET
o In the wild: penguins eat fish (anchovies, pilchard) and squid.
o At the Zoo:
 Penguins eat about 1 pound of fish per day
 Keepers feed them trout, capelin, and herring (each bird has his or her own preferences)
 The penguins can eat as much as they want, but keepers keep a record of how much each penguin eats.
 The keepers hand feed, which allows them to track how much each penguin eats.
o It helps us to ensure that each penguin receives proper nutrition.
o It indicates health status – often a change in feeding behavior can be our first indicator that
something is going on.
o Molting: if a penguin starts eating a lot more than usual, during the time of year that it normally
molts, it’s an indication that they will probably molt soon.
o If a bird stops eating in the middle of summer, we will immediately have it checked for Avian Malaria.
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o A female that eats a lot may indicate that she is getting ready to lay an egg. A female getting ready
to lay an egg might also start to collect nesting material and dig inside the nest.
 LIFESPAN
o Their average lifespan is 15-20 years in the wild and they have been known to live up to 30 years in captivity.
o They are about 2-2.5 feet tall (24-28 inches) tall and weigh about 5-8 lbs
 PENGUINS AT THE MARYLAND ZOO
o We have a long history of working with African penguins at The Maryland Zoo. 15 pairs of penguins started the
colony in 1967 (46 years ago in 2013).
o The penguin colony here at the Zoo is one of the largest in North America. We typically house about 50 penguins.
o We are the most successful African penguin breeding facility in North America. About 950 chicks have been
hatched and raised at the Zoo!
 The offspring are sometimes relocated to other zoos and aquariums. Many penguins at zoos and aquariums
across the country hatched right here in Baltimore.
o Penguins are not taken from the wild, with the rare exception of a nonreleasable rehab bird.
 PENGUIN CONSERVATION
o African penguins are endangered in the wild and numbers continue to decline, largely as a result of habitat
destruction, commercial fisheries, and pollution.
 In 2009, the African penguin population was estimated to be only 25,262 pairs or about 52,000 mature
individuals.
 This represents a dramatic decline from historic population size. In 1956-57, the total population was
estimated at 141,000 pairs (or about 282,000 individuals).
o Both overfishing and global climate change have contributed to a decline in the fish that penguins eat – meaning
that they have to travel longer distances to find fewer fish.
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o A catastrophic oil spill in 2000 affected around 40% of the African penguin population, and resulted in the world's
biggest seabird rescue operation led by SANCCOB (The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of
Coastal Birds.)
o SANCCOB is located in Cape Town, South Africa. This organization rescues and rehabilitates sea birds (not just
penguins) affected by oil spills. They also conduct research and education efforts.
 MOLTING
o Once a year, penguins lose their old feathers and grow new ones.
o Sometimes referred to as “catastrophic molt.” This just means that they lose all of their old feathers around the
same time, instead of molting a few at a time, like other birds.
o Before it molts, a penguin will gorge and put on a lot of weight.
 Penguins fast while they are molting since they are not waterproof without their feathers and cannot hunt.
o The process takes about 7-10 days.
A penguin’s feathers keep it warm and dry in the water, so it is important for them to replace old ones.
 ADULTS VS. JUVENILES
o Adult penguins have distinct markings. They are black above, white below, with a black horseshoe on their chest
and white patches above their eyes.
o Juveniles are plain gray-black with a white belly. Juveniles molt into their adult plumage when they are 1 ½ years
old.
 MALES VS. FEMALES
o You can’t tell the difference between male and female penguins by looking at them. We do a blood test when the
chick is about 3 weeks old to determine its sex.
 PENGUIN BEHAVIOR
o Penguins are a social species and form pair bonds.
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o In the wild, penguins live and breed in large colonies, so keeping a large group like the Zoo’s colony helps to
encourage natural behaviors.
o Penguins in zoos and aquariums retain many of their natural behaviors, such as:
▪ Schooling when frightened or alarmed
▪ Gathering nesting material from nearby bushes
 BREEDING and RAISING YOUNG
o Penguins mate for life and are generally monogamous.
o Females usually lay two eggs per clutch, 4 days apart; however, they are known to lay only 1 egg or up to 3 eggs
o The average incubation period is 38 days
o Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the chicks
o At The Maryland Zoo, chicks stay with parents for 3 weeks to avoid imprinting on humans
o Chicks are pulled from the parents at 3 weeks and are housed in “nursery boxes” inside Rock Island. At this point,
they can regulate their own body temperature and no longer need to be incubated. At this point, keepers teach
them to swim and begin weekly tests for Avian Malaria.
o Chicks are returned to the colony when they are about 12 weeks old and can defend themselves from the older
penguins in the colony, who can be aggressive.
 PENGUIN BREEDING AND CONSERVATION
o The zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), an internationally recognized cooperative breeding system,
for pairing breeding animals.
 The plan ensures genetic diversity and prevents individual animals from being over-represented in captivity
 Zoos that are accredited by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) participate in these types of
programs for many different animals.
 We average 5-10 breeding pairs a year, depending on the needs and recommendations of the SSP. We can
have as few as 4 and as many as 20 chicks during a breeding season. Occasionally, we don’t have any chicks
(like the 2012-13 season).
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 ADAPTATIONS
o Webbed feet and a body streamlined for swimming and catching food underwater
o Hard, flipper-like wings made up of elongated, flattened bones fused at the elbow for propulsion under the water
o Legs located far back on the body - effective oars and steering organs (like the rudder on a boat)
o Have a thick, waterproof, insulating mat of feathers that traps air close to body and conserves heat (Antarctic
penguins also have a thick layer of fat below the skin that also adds insulation)
o Have special glands to remove salt from body
o Avoid overheating by nesting in burrows or under rocks, swimming, restricting activity to morning and evening
o Can dissipate heat through flippers, feet, and open beak
o Penguins are the only birds that have can walk upright and have plantigrade locomotion (walk with entire sole on
the ground, as humans do)
o Penguins have solid bones, making them heavier for diving. Being solid also protects the bones from being
crushed by high water pressure in deep water.
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Penguin Wild Encounter Supplemental Information
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
 Is it cold inside the exhibit?
No, these penguins are warm weather birds. They don’t like the cold. MZ heats the inside of the exhibit in the
winter. Most penguins live in warm climates - the Galapagos Islands just south of the equator, in the rainforests of
New Zealand, etc. The waters around the places they live are cool to cold, seasonally.
 What’s inside the island?
There is a kitchen area where keepers prepare diets, some office space, and indoor space for the penguins.
 How much do they weigh?
Five to eight pounds! They have solid bones which makes them heavy for their size. They do not have porous bones
like most birds. Birds that fly need to be lightweight. Penguins need the extra weight to help them dive deeper for
fish (like a diver wears weights to help him sink). This also helps to protect the bones from being crushed due to
water pressure at depth. They are considered shallow divers (about 300 feet, but generally go only 100 feet).
 How fast can they swim?
Approximately 12 mph (20 km/h)
 How long can they hold their breath under water?
Three to five minutes.
 How old was the oldest penguin before it died?
At The Maryland Zoo, the oldest penguin on record was about 32-33 years old. His name was Fabio. Presently, the
oldest bird in the colony is Rana (Pronounced “ra-na.” She has a blue, black, and purple tag. She is 31 years old in
2013, and hatched a chick on March 31, 2005 with her mate, 12 year old “Double Stuff.”)
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The oldest African penguin in North America was Sylvester at the Knoxville Zoo, who lived to be 45.
 What natural enemies do the penguins have?
Their main predators are sharks and Cape Fur Seals. But there are threats caused by humans as well, such as habitat
destruction, over-fishing, and oil spills.
 Do Polar Bears eat penguins?
NO!!! All 17 species of penguin live SOUTH of the equator. Since polar bears live north of the equator, a penguin
would never see a polar bear in the wild.
 Where are the chicks?
Animal breeding is a complex process, and we didn’t have any successful pairings this year. We are looking forward
to receiving more breeding recommendations for the fall. When we do have chicks, our visitors typically do not see
them until they have molted into their waterproof juvenile plumage and can swim.
OTHER PENGUIN FACTS
 17 species of penguin: emperor – largest (44” tall, 60-90 lbs); fairy (or little blue) – smallest (16” tall, 2.2 lbs); blackfooted – species represented at MZ; and the king, Adelie, gentoo, chinstrap, rockhopper, macaroni, royal, Fiordland
crested, erect-crested, Snares Island, yellow-eyed, Magellanic, Humboldt and Galapagos
o Chinstrap penguins may be the most numerous with a population estimated at 8 million breeding pairs
o The most vulnerable penguin is the yellow-eyed which inhabits the coasts and offshore islands of southeast New
Zealand. Their population is estimated at only 4,800 birds
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 Status: All Antarctic penguins are legally protected by the Antarctic Treaty. Penguins are vulnerable to habitat
destruction, over fishing of primary food sources, ecological disaster such as oil spills and human encroachment into
nesting areas.
 All penguins live south of the equator from icy waters of Antarctica to the tropical Galapagos Islands off the coast of
Ecuador (almost astride the equator)
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White Breasted Cormorants:
 A large, dark, diving bird with a long neck, large head, and extremely sharp, hooked bill.
 Eats mainly fish (capelin, herring, and trout), but can also east crustaceans and amphibians.
 Able to swallow fish larger than the normal diameter of its neck. It has unique muscles in its neck that allows it to
stretch out to accommodate larger fish.
 The throat, also called the gular pouch, is also used as a signaling device and as a means for cooling the body. By panting
and fluttering the gular pouch, blood passing through the rich concentration of capillaries is rapidly cooled.
 Build a nest from sticks, seaweeds, and grasses on cliffs, open ground, or in trees. The female lays two to six eggs, which
both parents incubate for 27-31 days.
Comparing Cormorants and Penguins
 Cormorants lack waterproof feathers, and can be seen spreading their wings to dry.
 Cormorants swim differently than penguins. They propel themselves using their feet, while penguins “fly” through the
water using their wings.
 There is a species of cormorant that is flightless, commonly known as the Flightless Cormorant or the Galápagos
Cormorant.
o Native to the Galápagos islands, lack of predation pressure may have led to its loss of flight
o Feeds in a small range, primarily on octopuses, eels, and bottom-dwelling fish
o Like other cormorants, can be seen holding its wings out to dry
o Classified as endangered in 2003
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Gull Visitors
 Most common gull visitor to Rock island is herring gull
o May also see ring-billed gulls (smaller, yellow legs, black ring around beak)
o Or greater black-backed – largest gull adults have black back (called mantle)
 Gulls exhibit kleptoparasitism, meaning that they often harass other birds (including other less dominant gulls) into
giving up a morsel of food. Many other bird species engage in this behavior: jaegers, skuas, frigate birds, and even the
bald eagle has been known to harass osprey for food. The American widgeon (puddle duck) will do this to diving ducks
when the diver surfaces. So the gull behavior that we often see at Rock Island is a typical natural behavior for them.
 Like crows, herring gulls are equipped with a multi-purpose bill which reflects a varied diet of fish, human refuse(they
have behaviorally adapted well to being around people), invertebrates, small birds and mammals, carrion and
occasionally waste grain and fruits
o Although they often nest in the same areas as penguins, (rocky islands and shores), gulls can be a major predators
of other colonial island nesting birds like terns, puffins, auks, cormorants (some gulls nest in wetlands and
freshwater islands as well)
o Kelp gull is a common species in South Africa with African penguins
o Like penguins, young are semi-precocial – or born feathered and capable of movement but generally remain nest
bound for short period of time
o Nestling Gulls are cryptically colored
o The red spot on a herring gulls’ and other large gulls’ beaks are pecked at by nestlings and fledglings to stimulate
regurgitation
 Gull Development
o Like penguins, all species of gulls take more than one year to develop
 Small gulls (bonapartes) take 2 years (go right from 1st year plumage to adult)
 Medium gulls (ring-billed, laughing) take three years (essentially skip second year plumage described below)
 Large gulls(herring, black-backed) take 4 years
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 Typical 4 year progression (there are variations on this)
 1st year brown back, head and wings with white tail tipped with brown
 2nd year all brown (herring)
 3rd year gray or black back (mantle) but wings and head still brown and tail still tipped with brown
 4th –typical adult plumage gray or black mantle clean white head and undersides(winter adults often
have a little brown on back of head)
 Compare the positioning of the legs to those of the penguins, gulls are fairly buoyant and while they paddle atop the
water, they typically do not dive below the water. They will however sometimes make short surface aerial dives where
they plunge in head first but do not fully submerge
o They also walk more gracefully than penguins due to the central position of their legs
o Herring gulls always have pink legs
o If the legs are yellow, it is a ring-billed gull
o Like penguins gulls also have salt glands
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