With great anticipation, Taipei City Zoo's animal caretakers and veterinarians last night welcomed the latest additions to the zoo's family -- 20 Blackfoot Penguins.
The new arrivals in Mucha will be ready to face the public next month.
"After about a one-month period of quarantine inspection [following their arrival], these Black-foot Penguins will be ready for the public to view in June," Cheng Shih-chia (
Blackfoot Penguins, which are also known as the Jackass Penguin or African Penguin, are indigenous to Africa, in areas where the temperature of the land and water stays relatively constant. They are called "Jack-ass Penguins" because they often make a loud donkey-like braying noise.
Cheng said that the 20 penguins are the first of their kind at the zoo.
"The importing of these Black-foot Penguins has long been part of our penguin zone' plan, which is categorized into that of cold-climate and warm-climate," she said.
"Right now, the zoo's 15 King Penguins represent the cold-climate penguins and these Black-foot Penguins will represent those of the warm climate," Cheng added.
According to Cheng, the new arrivals range in age ranged from 6 months to 4 years-old and were purchased for US$3,500 each.
"Some of the penguins' gender are yet unknown and can only be determined later after they are more maturely developed," she added.
Noting that the world population of Blackfoot Penguins has suffered serious reductions in the last three decades due to over-exploitation and pollution caused by oil spills from tankers, Cheng said that care and work on ocean ecology is urgent.
"They are an endangered species," Cheng said. "And via their addition to the zoo, we hope to raise the public's awareness toward these penguins and related conservation work."
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