Greensboro Science Center: Name The GSC's African Penguin Chick: Voting Now Open

Greensboro NC

06 January, 2022

12:04 PM

Description

Press release from the Greensboro Science Center: January 6, 2022 The Greensboro Science Center (GSC) is asking the public to help select a name for the African penguin who hatched on November 11, 2021. After consulting with animal care staff, the GSC has narrowed down the choices to the following three names. Voting to select the final name is now open via a Google Form. The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 9, 2022.Megan Zelinski, GSC Aquarist, shared, "The birth of this African penguin chick is especially important because it aids in sustainability within our Association of Zoos and Aquariums community. The global population of African penguins has declined 73% within the past few decades, so it's crucial we continue to create a genetically diverse and healthy population." The penguin chick is currently located behind the scenes and will remain there until ready to begin acclimation to swimming. Following success with swimming, the chick will be given access to the exhibit.Apart from being "cute and fluffy", Zelinksi added that the chick appears to be "observant, calm and rarely fearful, whereas many chicks can be hesitant and easily spooked." At the time of this writing, the penguin's sex is still undetermined. The GSC's veterinary team will conduct a blood test at a later date in order to make the determination. In the meantime, the GSC will continue to update the public on the penguin's progress on the organization's social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This press release was produced by the Greensboro Science Center. The views expressed here are the author's own.