Latest news with #ZoeSweetman
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Same-sex penguin couple raising rare chick at zoo
Scampi and Flounder, a pair of male Humboldt penguins, are stepping up to raise a chick at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom. The chick is one of 10 born during what zoo team manager Zoe Sweetman described in a Thursday news release as a "bumper year for the penguins here." Humboldt penguins are one of the most at-risk of the world's 17 species of penguins and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. There are now 63 penguins in the colony at the zoo. Penguin pair Wotsit and Peach laid two of the eggs that hatched this year, according to the zoo. Experts at the zoo shared the eggs between the nests of Wotsit and Peach and Scampi and Flounder. "The zoo's bird experts carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging," the zoo wrote in the news release. Penguin eggs are incubated for around 40 days and, once an egg is produced, it takes about three days before the chick hatches. While a zoo spokesperson said Scampi and Flounder have never hatched and raised a chick before, same-sex penguin couples are not unheard of. In 2018, two male penguins at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in Australia hatched a chick, and then in 2020, a pair of female penguins at an aquarium in Spain welcomed a baby chick. In 2022, a male penguin couple at a zoo in New York state became parents. Penguin parents share feeding and parenting duties. Chester Zoo keepers provide fish, which the parents swallow and blend into a "protein-rich soup," which they regurgitate to feed the chicks, according to the zoo. Eight of the 10 penguins hatched at Chester Zoo this year have been named in the weeks since they hatched in April. "This year we've gone with a celestial theme for naming the chicks and we've had a lot of fun coming up with names inspired by stars, constellations and cosmic wonders," Sweetman said. The zoo is taking suggestions on social media before deciding on the names of two of the chicks, but has named the others: Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena. Scampi and Flounder's chick will have its name picked on social media. The zoo has not specified if the chick is male or female. Since their births, the fluffy penguin chicks have nearly quadrupled in size, according to the zoo. "They're now days away from a really exciting milestone — their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time," Sweetman said. Humboldt penguins, native to South America, are vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss, according to the zoo. Population numbers have decreased by around 85% in the last 40 years. "The penguin colony at Chester Zoo plays a vital role in the international breeding program for the species, helping to maintain a genetically healthy population in conservation zoos across Europe," according to the zoo. Humboldt penguins are carnivores, eating small fish and crustaceans, according to the zoo. They spend up to 75% of their lives in water. They typically live 12 to 15 years, but can live up to 20 years in human care. Humboldt penguins typically weigh around 7 to 13 pounds, with their weight fluctuating based on food and whether or not they're molting. They grow to be about 2 feet tall. Penguin chicks at the zoo are weighed to monitor their development. Many penguins are monogamous, according to the zoo. What a new DOJ memo could mean for naturalized U.S. citizens July 4 holiday week expected to set record for travelers Group meets to handwrite the U.S. Constitution
CBS News
04-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Same-sex penguin couple raising rare chick at U.K. zoo
Scampi and Flounder, a pair of male Humboldt penguins, are stepping up to raise a chick at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom. The chick is one of 10 born during what zoo team manager Zoe Sweetman described in a Thursday news release as a "bumper year for the penguins here." Humboldt penguins are one of the most at-risk of the world's 17 species of penguins and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. There are now 63 penguins in the colony at the zoo. Penguin pair Wotsit and Peach laid two of the eggs that hatched this year, according to the zoo. Experts at the zoo shared the eggs between the nests of Wotsit and Peach and Scampi and Flounder. "The zoo's bird experts carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging," the zoo wrote in the news release. Same-sex penguin couple Scampi and Flounder are raising a chick at the Chester Zoo. Chester Zoo Penguin eggs are incubated for around 40 days and, once an egg is produced, it takes about three days before the chick hatches. While a zoo spokesperson said Scampi and Flounder have never hatched and raised a chick before, same-sex penguin couples are not unheard of. In 2018, two male penguins at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in Australia hatched a chick, and then in 2020, a pair of female penguins at an aquarium in Spain welcomed a baby chick. In 2022, a male penguin couple at a zoo in New York state became parents. Penguin parents share feeding and parenting duties. Chester Zoo keepers provide fish, which the parents swallow and blend into a "protein-rich soup," which they regurgitate to feed the chicks, according to the zoo. Eight of the 10 penguins hatched at Chester Zoo this year have been named in the weeks since they hatched in April. "This year we've gone with a celestial theme for naming the chicks and we've had a lot of fun coming up with names inspired by stars, constellations and cosmic wonders," Sweetman said. Scampi and Flounder's chick Chester Zoo The zoo is taking suggestions on social media before deciding on the names of two of the chicks, but has named the others: Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena. Scampi and Flounder's chick will have its name picked on social media. The zoo has not specified if the chick is male or female. Since their births, the fluffy penguin chicks have nearly quadrupled in size, according to the zoo. "They're now days away from a really exciting milestone — their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time," Sweetman said. Humboldt penguins, native to South America, are vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss, according to the zoo. Population numbers have decreased by around 85% in the last 40 years. "The penguin colony at Chester Zoo plays a vital role in the international breeding program for the species, helping to maintain a genetically healthy population in conservation zoos across Europe," according to the zoo. Humboldt penguins are carnivores, eating small fish and crustaceans, according to the zoo. They spend up to 75% of their lives in water. They typically live 12 to 15 years, but can live up to 20 years in human care. Many penguins are monogamous, according to the zoo.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Chester: Same-sex penguin couple hatch rare chick at zoo
A rare chick has been hatched and raised by a same-sex penguin couple at Chester Humboldt chick is one of 10 to have hatched at the zoo, in what it described as a "bumper year for penguins".Scampi and Flounder, a pair of male penguins, "stepped in to help raise one of two eggs laid by another penguin pair, Wotsit and Peach", the zoo said. The chicks are said to now be days away from taking to the water for the first time. Bird experts at the zoo carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and to help improve the chances of successful Humboldt is the most threatened of all 17 species of penguin. Chester Zoo's penguin team manager, Zoe Sweetman, said: "It's fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme."The fluffy new arrivals are all being looked after brilliantly by their parents, having nearly quadrupled in size since they first emerged."The zoo spokesperson said penguin couples shared feeding and parenting duties, and this was supplemented by extra fish provided by the adult penguins swallow this, blending it into a protein-rich soup before regurgitating it to feed the chicks. Eight of the chicks, who live in the zoo's Penguin Island habitat, have been named Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena after constellations and celestial wonders. The other two are to be named in a public vote via social media. Humboldt penguin facts This South American penguin is named after the chilly Humboldt current, along which the penguins commonly swimHumboldt penguins are social animals, living in relatively large colonies of closely spaced burrowsHumboldt penguins travel through the water at speeds of up to 25mphThey enjoy a diet of small fish, such as anchovies, herring and smelt and crustaceansThey are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)In the wild, Humboldt penguins are vulnerable to disturbances in their food chain caused by strong El Niño currents, which happen when surface waters in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ten rare Humboldt penguin chicks named after constellations
Ten rare Humboldt penguin chicks have hatched at Chester Zoo in the UK. The tiny penguins have been named after constellations and other space-themed wonders."Ten chicks hatching in one season marks a bumper year for the penguins here." said Zoe Sweetman, Team Manager of Penguins at Chester Zoo."It's fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme." she penguins are native to the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile, and are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).The penguins face a number of threats in the wild, including climate change, over-fishing and rising ocean temperatures. The chicks began hatching from their eggs in April, and have spent their first few weeks tucked away in their nest burrows with their parents as they grow of the chicks was raised by two male penguins named Scampi and Flounder. The keepers say the couple stepped in to help take care of an extra egg laid by two other penguins called Wotsit and and Flounder are already parenting pros, having successfully raised another chick last year named Verbana. "Each year we pick a fun theme to help name our chicks, which helps us keep track of who is who now that there are 63 penguins in the colony," said Zoe."This year we've gone with a celestial theme for naming the chicks and we've had a lot of fun coming up with names inspired by stars, constellations and cosmic wonders."This year's chicks are named Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena. The two final chicks will be named by the public in a special themes have included chocolate bars, brands of crisps and even NHS heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
