Penguins flew to the Primorsky Aquarium to live in
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Six Humboldt Penguin fledglings aged 9 to 16 months have arrived to the Primorsky Aquarium from the Nature Resource Network, Prague, Czech Republic – the hatchery providing the world's largest zoos and aquariums with animals. The penguins were acquired through the International Charitable Fund "Constantine" involvement.
Having current status as the threatened, the Humboldt Penguins are a specially protected species included in the CITES Appendix I. Moving the Humboldt Penguins is carefully monitored even though they have been captive-bred like our newcomers. Before the penguins having arrived, Primorsky Aquarium performed considerable preparatory work including obtaining all permissions and approvals required.
Selection and transportation of the penguins were carried out as required by the international and Russian environmental bodies and other regulatory authorities.
All the birds have chips implanted according to CITES requirements. The electronic chip – kind of an animal ID card – allows confident identifying an animal unit.
On arrival in Vladivostok, the first thing was the Aquarium veterinarians' inspection. Such a long-distance flight has been found to have no a negative impact on the penguins' condition.
Our ornithologists have met their prospective "pets" before - in Czech for the fledglings' getting accustomed to them and, in such a way, minimizing move-caused stress of the young birds.
The penguins are presently kept 30-days obligatory quarantine in the Scientific-and-Adaptation Building being observed around the clock by their "old friends" – our ornithologists who say that they can already identify the birds "by their faces". In return, the penguins readily come into contact and allow patting them; they are healthy, got through the move well - their eating and motor activity is indicative of that.
For information:
- CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments entered in force on 1 July 1975. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of animals and plants.
- A Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) also named Chilean penguin or Peruvian penguin is a South American penguin that breeds in coastal Chile and Peru. The penguin is named after the cold-water Humboldt Current (Peruvian Current) it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer. Humboldt penguins grow to 56–70 cm long and a weight of 3.6-5.9 kg. Egg-laying can occur at any time of year between March and December. Life span is around 20 years but can increase to over 30 years in captivity.
22/02/2018
