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From our scientist, Hiltrun Ratz, PhD
scientist@penguins.org.nz |
This young family got a generous new sponsor and so their house is now named. The chicks are still quite small and tucked in under the parent - hence it was not possible to have both chicks, adult and the name of the box in one photo. Once the chicks grow and move about that will happen. Thank you!
She is one of our favourites because she was named as a chick - it's a 50:50 chance with the sexing when they are little - and we got it "wrong". Or maybe not. She is a mighty penguin with two chicks to raise this year with a new mate (he suspect that her mate died of Malaria despite of our best efforts - he was very sick there for a while but we did release him). She might be named after the god of thunder but we will still be watching over her and her chicks making sure all is well.
The pair in this sponsored box has not had a lot of success in recent year - so we are delighted that they are raising a couple of chicks. In fact the chicks are so grown up already that they are hanging out outside their nest box - with a parent in attendance still of course.
She has changed her life a little from last year: she has a new mate and a new house. We don't know whether her mate is still alive but a single penguin has been seen in the vicinity of her old nest and it could be him. She is doing well with her new - and younger - mate and they are raising two chicks.
He is Bequette's neighbour and is named after a special young man. He is very reliable and usually raises two chicks with his mate. This year it is the same and they are doing well.
This female was sponsored as a chick and returned to breed 2 years ago and is now a four-year old. She has swapped partner and is raising one chick. Her old mate was given a dummy egg to worry about so he would not get jealous. It has worked and the chick is growing.
She is a two-year old and has produced a couple of chicks this season - and she lives in a sponsored box called Flipper Palace. With so many kind people keeping their fingers crossed for her - what could go wrong? Diphtheria was treated and they survived - and here they are. Chicky certainly was not keen for us to check them further - fortunately there was no need!
This is Stewie Junior and Anna who live in Uncle Chang's box with their 2 fluff balls. 'Nuff said, really - cuteness overload: that's why we LOVE December!
This newly sponsored penguin lady is a 3-year old who has left her mate from last season - we thought he was very acceptable, but she obviously didn't - and hooked up with a much younger male who arrived new in the colony. Go figure - who knows how they make their decisions! She has two beautiful chicks now to raise and after their treatment for Diphtheria they are thriving. No messing round with this lady - she was not polite when we came calling to check on her.....
Despite her masculine name, she is a girl and she was sponsored as a chick and came back. So she is of course special, but a bit super-special for the kids who sponsored her. She has a new mate and two chicks. She is always the last one to lay her eggs, to hatch her chicks and to get them through the Diphtheria danger month. But she managed this year and although her chicks are still little - they are the two little blobs of fluff in the back - they are doing well.
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