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EcoWorld Aquarium Nicknamed Two Little Blue Penguin Chicks "Bert and Ernie"
Picton, New Zealand - New father Regan Russell is taking extra care of the latest arrivals at EcoWorld Aquarium. The two Little Blue Penguin chicks have been affectionately nicknamed “Bert and Ernie”. In response to a distress call from a concerned member of the public Regan, EcoWorld's manager, rescued the two starving penguin chicks from the Picton Foreshore. “The chicks are very lucky to be alive. I found them in a poor state, starving and shivering. They were next to the mauled body of an adult penguin. Mum maybe. It looks like a dog might have attacked the penguin and killed it. I went back the next day and sadly I found two more dead penguin chicks. They look like might have also been savaged by a dog, perhaps one of those randoms allowed to run loose on the Picton Foreshore ! We hear quite a bit about penguins being hammered in and around Picton”. Regan and the staff at EcoWorld Aquarium are really taken with Bert and Ernie, who are thriving on their diet of salmon smelt. “The new penguin chicks are in safe hands getting twice daily feeds of salmon smelt. They're really ravenous. We weigh them each day to check on their progress. We hope they'll be released back into the wild around Christmas time. We expect to be caring for more injured penguins over the summer. We've established a refuge and safe breeding area with 10 nest boxes. The penguins will be free to come and go as they please”. Korora or Little Blue Penguins (Eudyptula minor), are found all along New Zealand's coastline and often fall prey to rats, cats, dogs and other predators. Little Blue Penguins are in decline in the wild, especially in areas where they are not protected from predators. The Department of Conservation now ranks them as “Lower risk – near threatened”. If anyone finds an injured or ill Little Blue Penguin they should contact the local DOC office. Photo: 1 year old Finn Russell gets up close with new local Ernie To view EcoWorld Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-3116-EcoWorld_Aquarium |

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
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!
For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
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
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.
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.
I know that Christian is dedicated to her aquarium job and to the rehab of sea turtles. I am proud of her.
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.
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.
I think we should move on from having dolphins in captivity now - we all know this isn't good for them.
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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