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National Aviary's New Outdoor African Penguin Exhibit Opened Today
Pittsburgh, PA - Penguin Point, the National Aviary’s new outdoor African penguin exhibit, opened Saturday, May 23, giving visitors the opportunity to see Stanley, Simon, Sidney, Elvis and Patrick -- and six new team members -- interacting, playing, swimming and diving in a natural setting that emulates the rocky shores of the birds’ native South Africa. Penguin Point affords up-close, 360-degree views of African penguins in an open-air space. A wheelchair accessible Kids ViewTube tunnel under the exhibit provides underwater views of the penguins “flying” through the pool, while domed bubbles allow young guests the chance to pop up in the middle of the penguin group. The $1.7 million exhibit was designed by Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc. of St. Louis (PGAV). “With the opening of Penguin Point, guests will for the first time have the opportunity to see all of the Aviary’s penguins together on exhibit,” says National Aviary Executive Director Patrick Mangus. “We’ve designed the space to give the closest possible experience for our guests. Not only will you be able to watch their antics in and out of the water, the open-air setting will allow you to hear and smell the penguins, much like you would if you visited the beaches of South Africa.” The exhibit will also feature a number of educational components focusing on the plight of African penguins in the wild. “African penguin populations are dropping so rapidly that it has been predicted that they could be extinct in the wild within 15 years,” adds Mangus. “We will draw attention to the human impacts that are causing this drop, and will inform guests about the Aviary’s involvement in the African Penguin Species Survival Plan. This program, directed by Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a carefully managed breeding program that works to preserve a genetically strong population of African penguins in U.S. zoos. Several of the new penguins we have acquired are of genetic importance and will likely be bred at the National Aviary.” African penguins are listed as “vulnerable” to extinction on the Red Data list. Their wild populations, once numbering in the millions, have dropped to just 27,000 breeding pairs, down from nearly 60,000 pairs just two years ago. Penguin Point will be open daily beginning Saturday, May 23. National Aviary summer hours (9 am – 5 pm) begin May 23. National Aviary admission is $10 adults; $9 seniors; $8.50 children ages 2 and up. Under 2 admitted free. More information at www.aviary.org or by calling 412.323.7235. National Aviary |
By Laura Ellis 
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Unusual to have three snow leopard cubs
Congratulations to ABQ BioPark and the proud cat parents on the birth of three snow leopard cubs. That's fantastic news and we look forward to these three playing an important role in snow leopard survival breeding and also helping educate people about their endangered cousins in the wild.
Snow leopards live in some of the most extreme environments on earth - in high altitudes and freezing temperatures. If we don't do a lot of work with communities and governments in snow leopards 12 range countries, these beautiful cats may be extinct in the wild in our life time.
Sibylle Noras
Founder and Publisher
“Saving Snow Leopards” website. See how conservationists and zoos are working to help these rare and elusive cats avoid extinction.
http://www.snowleopardblog.com
Love penguin fluffballs.
I especially liked if you go to the zoo's homepage and click on the info about naming the baby, the winner says she'd like to be able to tell her dad that a penguin was named after him for his birthday. Adorable!
If you have any interest in reading a new blog, featuring conservation of adorable animals and their habitats, please check out my website...
Conservation:Cute
http://conservationcute.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
World Oceans Day
For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
Elephants
Asome news on the new baby! I agree with everyone here on the fact that animals should not be in captivation. If you want to check out a really cool place in Thailand where you can care for elephants check out http://www.elephantstay.com this place is a sanctuary for retired working elephants, it's an amazing place and they do so much good for the animals who live there. I went a few months ago and it was amazing.
Kimberly Juchnowski
Publisher, http://www.tikikiki.com
zoo animal diet's
It's ridiculous to try extrapolate zoo animals diet to human beings, and it flies in the face of all science of the last 30 years that looked into nutrition and health research. Maybe Rudy Socha was being sarcastic? I hope so.
response to starseed
I fully agree with you when it comes to the captivity of orcas. These animals live considerably shorter, unhealthier lives than they normally would have in the wild. I am disgusted by what I have seen at Sea World. They claim to be trying to educate people on the animals when really it is all nothing but a circus with the animals being made to perform to attract customers. I am a little more on the fence however when it comes to some other species of dolphins, such as the ones they keep at Vancouver Aquarium. While I do not support the capture of wild dolphins, I do recognize the fact that there are species that actually live longer and perhaps healthier lives in captivity than in the wild. One of the neat things at the Vancouver Aquarium is that none of the dolphins were captured for the purpose of entertainment: they were all animals that were rescued after getting caught and injured in fishing nets and are unable to return to the wild due to their injuries. I have seen the shows and the aquarium are truly focused more on educating visitors than trying to entertain them at the animals' expense.
Christian's Award
I know that Christian is dedicated to her aquarium job and to the rehab of sea turtles. I am proud of her.
Dry Tortugas National Park
The seashore, our accredited Summer Learning Adventure Camps merge scientific exploration Dry Tortugas National Park with hands-on fun and learning. Campers investigate marine habitats, create ocean art projects, learn about careers in oceanography, and combine the science and sports of surfing and snorkeling, all while making new friends and memories.
hey
http://www.deafmatching.com is an online community for deaf, ASL and hearing-impaired friends and singles!
Have fun with photos, message boards, chat, blog and more.
Don't support it anymore
I think we should move on from having dolphins in captivity now - we all know this isn't good for them.
diabetes
diabetes
pacaya samiria national reserve
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a magical place. The flora, fauna, remoteness and beauty are exquisite. Another interesting aspect is how the indigenous people there live. To learn more and see photos taken by indigenous children in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you can visit ninosdelaamazonia.org
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