Little Rock Zoo welcomes African penguin chick

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Little Rock Zoo announced that a new baby penguin is joining their family.

Zoo officials said on Thursday that the yet unnamed African penguin chick hatched on Aug. 19.

In a Facebook post , the zoo noted that the penguin’s species is endangered and the chick’s parents, Gable and Bugsy, were recommended to be bred by the African penguin Species Survival Plan.

This chick is the zoo’s first to ever be hatched through artificial incubation. After the chick was hatched, zoo officials said it was closely monitored due to its parent’s history with raising chicks.

“After multiple unsuccessful attempts to return the chick, we switched gears and now are receiving help from foster ‘super parents’ Skipper and Eze,” zoo officials said. “Skipper and Eze have raised several chicks for us here (both theirs and otherwise) and were very excited to help.”

Zoo officials said Skipper and Eze are the chick’s grandparents, adding that “It takes a village!”

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