Rare penguin chick being hand-reared in bid to boost endangered species

A UK zoo has welcomed a rare northern rockhopper penguin chick, now being hand-reared by keepers in a bid to secure the future of the endangered species.

Nicknamed “Noisy” for its near-constant chirping, the two-week-old chick is receiving round-the-clock care in a cosy nesting box at Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire.

Keepers feed the fledgling three times a day with a custom-made “penguin milkshake” – a blend of sprats, vitamins and saline solution – designed to mimic the regurgitated meals chicks would normally receive from their parents.

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Northern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes moseleyi), known for their dramatic yellow crests, are listed as endangered, with wild populations having declined by over 57% in the past three decades.

The species is under threat from climate change, overfishing and oil pollution.

Whipsnade, part of the international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London), is one of just seven zoos in Europe to house the subspecies.

The zoo participates in a European breeding programme aimed at maintaining a genetically diverse backup population.

Due to past challenges with egg survival in their colony, keepers intervened early by replacing the penguin parents’ egg with a dummy, allowing them to continue nesting while the real egg was safely incubated in the zoo’s specialist bird nursery.

“We’re overjoyed to have a northern rockhopper chick at Whipsnade,” said Tim Savage, section manager of birds at the zoo.

“Contributing to the European breeding programme is vital. We’re monitoring our tiny hatchling around the clock to give it the best chance possible.”

The chick will undergo DNA testing at around eight weeks old to determine its sex, as males and females of the species are visually indistinguishable. It is expected to grow its trademark long yellow eyebrows following its first moult.

Visitors to Whipsnade Zoo during the May half term can see the colony of northern rockhoppers – along with more than 11,000 other animals – and support ZSL’s global conservation work.

Tickets and more information are available at www.whipsnadezoo.org.

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