The Lincoln Children’s Zoo has announced that a Humboldt penguin chick hatched at the Zoo on December 15, 2024.
The chick is the child of they’re mom, Sharkbait, and dad, John Henry. This is Sharkbait and John Henry’s second chick, following Percy, who hatched in April of 2024.
The team is awaiting the results of a blood test to determine the sex of the penguin chick. The sex and name will be announced later.
Zoo officials say the chick is being care for by mom and dad in a nest box behind the scenes. The chick will continue to spend its time off-exhibit as it continues to grow and develop its waterproof feathers.
Humboldt penguins typically hatch between 43 and 48 days after an egg is laid. Sharkbait and John Henry were reportedly very attentive during this incubation period. They took turns keeping the egg warm by sitting on it in the nest box they prepared. To determine whether an egg is fertilized or unfertilized, the animal care team checks for signs of chick development through a process called “candling.” During this process, the team holds the egg up to a special light to look through the shell and view development.
The Zoo’s keeper and veterinarian staff are carefully monitor the chick and parents and weigh it daily to make sure that it is healthy and progressing well. The chicks hatch weight was 72 grams, and as of January 13, it weighed 1160 grams.
“The birth of a vulnerable species such as the Humboldt penguins is incredibly important for these conservation efforts since they face a high risk of extinction in the wild,” said Evan Killeen, Lincoln Children’s Zoo CEO.
The Lincoln Children’s Zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program. The program develops a Breeding and Transfer Plan which identifies population goals and recommendations to manage a genetically diverse, demographically varied, and biologically sound population. The plan’s coordinators approved breeding recommendations for the Zoo’s penguins Sharkbait and John Henry.