The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium recently turned the former sea lion pool into a bustling habitat for some winged newcomers as they welcomed a bunch of Humboldt penguins alongside a trio of brown pelicans. These animals have been through the wringer but have found a new place to call home within the zoo's grounds. TribLIVE reported that these South American Humboldt penguins, considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, are the zoo's third penguin species and will be joining gentoo and macaroni penguins that currently reside in the aquarium.
Adding to their menagerie, the zoo has taken in three brown pelicans from the Seacoast Seabird Sanctuary in Florida. These birds, with permanent wing injuries that left them unable to hunt correctly, have been deemed non-releasable by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Pittsburgh is giving them a fresh start. Dr. Jeremy Goodman, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, told WTAE, "Penguins are near and dear to the hearts of Pittsburghers, so adding another species in addition to the Aquarium’s current population of penguins is a natural fit for both the Zoo’s mission and civic pride."
The thirteen Humboldt penguins, ranging in age from 1 to 17 years old, arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo and Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. They were recommended for relocation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Humboldt penguin Species Survival Program. Among the avian additions named for the explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt are Lillie, Dave, and Pippin, a trio of chicks hatched from eggs originally sourced from the Columbus Zoo.
