Animal Keeper's Association of Africa

DID YOU KNOW?  The  first testicular guard "Cup" was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. Makes you think!!  We hope. The African Black Footed Penguins at Two Oceans Aquarium have had a very successful breeding program since the opening of the aquarium 14 years ago. Approximately 50 penguin chicks hatched out at the aquarium have been successfully released into the wild through SANCCOB’s rehab and release program. Weighing of the hatchlings has been the standard way for animal care staff to assess whether or not the parents are  managing to feed both chicks equally. It has always been normal practice for the aquarium to rely on SANCCOB should  it be felt that the parents are not coping with rearing two chicks at a time. In this case we send the stronger of the two chicks off to SANCCOB, leaving the parents to contend only with the care of their second hatched.  With this brood of eggs, however, it was decided to do things very differently. On the advice of Sea World, Durban we chose to foster chicks onto parents that were currently incubating eggs to see if they would take over the duty of nourishing the fostered chick. This has, thus far, proven to be the right move as all of the chicks are gaining weight at a healthy rate!

The story so far….
On the 15th February 2009 Dorris & Faraday hatched out a chick (DF3). Their 2nd egg (DF4) hatched on the 20th February.DF3 continued to gain excellent weight up until 20th February when the parents then had the added pressure of feeding DF4. DF4 lost 6% of it’s body weight at the first weigh in of the 21st February! That very day it was decided to foster DF4 onto another couple, Chuck & Belinda who have two eggs due to hatch the 20th March. As at the 27th February both DF3 & DF4 have gained weight beautifully.

The very same situation arose with one of our other couples, Alan & Neptune. It was decided to foster their 2nd chick (AN2) onto Diesel & Tasmyn who are currently on two eggs due to hatch on the 3rd March. Both AN1 & AN2 are doing well at this time. It will be necessary to re-home AN2 back to Alan & Neptune before DTchicks begin hatching, and this move will again be very closely monitored and assessed on a daily basis.

Sometimes it just pays to think “outside of the nest”!