The summertime baby boom at the Tennessee Aquarium continues with yet another adorable addition to the Penguins' Rock gallery.
The season's second Gentoo Penguin chick hatched on July 17 to parents Blue (dad) and Flower (mom). The veteran chick-rearing duo also hatched another gallery resident, Carla, in 2021.
A few weeks can make a world of difference for young penguins, who must grow up fast to survive the harsh conditions on their native Antarctic islands. At one month old, this latest chick is hefty but still covered in layers of soft, fluffy down. Meanwhile, the season's first chick — which hatched just 22 days earlier on June 25 — is already nearly as large as its parents and beginning to develop its waterproof feathers.
The second chick is doing well and growing at the expected rate, but it didn't have the easiest start in life.
“We don’t know exactly why, but it seemed to have a hard time holding up its head and getting far enough into mom and dad’s mouth to feed,” says Assistant Curator of Forests Loribeth Lee.
Penguin chicks should be gaining weight quickly in the period after hatching. Even a two-day setback could be significant, so the Aquarium’s animal care and veterinary teams stepped in to provide round-the-clock care and feedings for almost a week until the youngster could hold its own.
“Without intervention, the chick would not have made it,” Lee says. “Mom and dad were trying their hardest, but there’s only so much they can do. It feels really good to see the chick doing so well thanks to our efforts.”
After its shaky start, the chick has put on weight at the rapid pace typical of its species. A day after hatching, it weighed 101 grams (3.5 ounces) — about the same as a bar of soap. At its one-month weigh-in, however, its weight had increased 2,700% to 2.73 kilograms. At that rate of growth, the average American infant (7.5 pounds at birth) would tip the scales at more than 200 pounds a month after being born!
Past chicks that have hatched in Penguins’ Rock have lived on exhibit in view of the public, but this season's additions have been kept off-exhibit with their parents in special holding rooms. Nesting season brings heightened aggression and infighting among nesting birds, which can sometimes inadvertently harm fragile young chicks. The decision to keep the families separate from the rest of the colony was made in the interest of their wellbeing.
The oldest of the two chicks will soon join the rest of the colony in Penguins’ Rock when it's around 70 days old. That move will depend on it passing a “swim test” to ensure it can float and — most importantly — exit the water unaided. The younger chick will follow it into public view approximately three weeks later.
Penguin fans should save the date to attend a penguin chick baby shower at the Aquarium on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Naming rights for each chick will be up for bid during the Aquarium’s annual online fundraiser, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 15. Proceeds from the fundraiser contribute to the Aquarium’s non-profit mission, conservation efforts and animal care.
Aquarium fans can keep tabs on the colony at Penguins’ Rock by viewing an online live stream powered by EPB Fiber Optics at tnaqua.org/livestream/penguins-rock/