A Guadalajara Zoo worker gives Adelie penguin a special touch.
Agencia EFE
Guadalajara, Jalisco
An Adelie penguin was born in the last day 2021 at a Mexican zoo in Guadalajara. The chick is currently training in an Antarctic environment, where he will spend the rest of his days.
The baby penguin is now 35 days old. It is still in a nursery, where keepers keep him safe and teach him how to adapt to his surroundings.
Assistant at the Antarctic penguin colony Paola Mendoza stated on Friday that the parents provide care for the baby for 28 days after they are born.
Later, caregivers assume that role to protect them as the area is smaller than their natural habitat.
These penguins are still young and need to survive in the harsh environment of Antarctica.
Mendoza claimed that penguins in their early years learn who they are and how they bleat.
He explained that he had placed a mirror in order for them to see themselves clearly and not feel isolated.
At this stage, the chicks of Penguins are covered with down, a layer made up of fine feathers beneath their tough exterior.
These feathers don’t have water-repellent fat, and they do not allow penguins float.
After 40 to 60 days of being born, penguin chicks acquire their black and white plumage.
Mendoza suggested that the baby could take swimming lessons within a month. This would help him to improve his ability to move his tail, fins, and jump in and out the water.
The parents will then introduce the chicks to the colony by making their first jump in the water.
As such, the Adelie species are not at risk of extinction. However, it is crucial to take care of them as climate change is melting their poles, which causes the loss of their natural habitat.
