CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. — March 26, 2026 — A Critically Endangered African penguin is debuting at WCS New York Aquarium.

The juvenile penguin has joined his parents and other penguins at the New York Aquarium’s Sea Cliffs habitat, home to a total of 37 African penguins. He weighed about 3.4 kilograms at just over three months old.

The male chick weighed 63.2 grams when he hatched on December 4. The aquarium’s animal keepers tracked developmental benchmarks as the chick grew, including a target 20% daily weight gain, transition from soft down to waterproof feathers, and demonstration of strong social, swimming, and hopping behaviors.

This marks the 19th hatching of an African penguin at the New York Aquarium.

The breeding of this species at the New York Aquarium is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) under the Saving Animals From Extinction® (SAFE) Program. The aquarium participates in the SAFE Program for African penguins, a collective effort across more than 50 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to save the African penguin from extinction. Combining field conservation, husbandry, and veterinary care, this undertaking has seen marked success; since 2005, the African penguin’s SSP population has grown by 47% with over 98% genetic diversity maintained.

The African penguin is a flightless bird endemic to the rocky coasts of South Africa and Namibia. They are one of the smallest penguin species in the world and are considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Wild populations have declined by 75% in the past two decades due to scarcity of prey fish, human disturbance, habitat loss, and other threats. Estimates indicate there are roughly 9,900 breeding pairs remaining in the wild.

WCS's New York Aquarium
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is open every day of the year. It is Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. The aquarium is located on 14 acres along the Atlantic Coast (602 Surf Ave., Coney Island, NY) and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at nyaquarium.com. Plan your visit and purchase tickets at nyaquarium.com/plan-your-visit. Follow the New York Aquarium on social media for updates and more: Facebook | Instagram | X. Members of the media should contact mdixon@wcs.org (347-840-1242) for more information or with questions.

###