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From our scientist, Hiltrun Ratz, PhD
scientist@penguins.org.nz |
These two were up first for their final weigh-in at 90 days old that includes the head measurement - which lets us guess fairly accurately - their sex. One of them was 6.7kg with a head of 140mm - probably a male; and the other weighed 6.0kg with a head of 136mm - probably a girl. They have about two weeks left and then it will be off on the big adventure in the big blue. Jackson and his mate have made a fab job of these two as evidenced by their weights: that's heavy!
This chick was not thriving with its parents and so it was brought into rehab. It has now learnt to eat out of the hand and is putting on weight. Still one of our younger ones but the adult feathers are slowing growing.
They have gone wandering and are hanging out here now! It turns out that these two chicks are the siblings - from another season - to Pengainz and cousins to their neighbour Randy! It's a small world in this penguin colony!
Is the littlest in the colony and still in his pyjamas hanging out in the forest with mother Vivek. At last they have left home (10 Windsor St) but food conditions are good so the chicks - especially the singletons - often have a parent at home. It's very encouraging for the survival of these precious penguins.
She had to come and stay with us for a second time because she was hanging around in the same place for two days in the colony - that is lying around very lethargic and sad when she should be out there fattening up for the moult. After some meds, some salmon and rest, she was so perky that we let her go again. She is a resident - although she hasn't started breeding - so we know that we will find her if she needs us again. For now, she is well again.
is back! She - we think she is a girl - is a chick from the 2018/19 season who needed to come into rehab quite young because of unexplained down loss on her back that exposed her skin and possibly made her vulnerable to the Malaria carrying mosquitoes. She fledged from rehab and is now back - not breeding yet. She had an injury on her left foot and her blood work indicated an infection. All good again now, she was so restless (in the photo she is standing in the corridor of the rehab after climbing the fence) that we let her go. She'll be in the colony if she needs more help. For now, she needs to fatten herself up for the moult.
They have finally moved out of their house and under a bush. It's probably a bit cooler there and exposed to the breeze. They are looking very healthy and are growing up fast.
This is one of our juveniles i.e. one of our chicks from last season) who has come back and needed a it of TLC in our rehab facility. The kind people from The Fitness Bank - who have also sponsored a box by that name where Cooper lives - wanted to help a penguin in need. So they adopted and named Pengainz. It's a boy - even as a chick he had a big head! His parents are raising two chicks in Penny Hack's box and one of Pengainz' grandparent is also Randy's grandparent.....they are cousins! Half a degree of separation - that is what it's like in our colonies!
This is freshly sponsored chick, here with his sibling hanging out. They are Molly's chicks and their house is now also sponsored and called The Randy Hut!
It was a hot afternoon and Bequette with her chicks Claus and sibling were sleeping in the shade near their box Moon. So peaceful!
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