New York Zoo Announces First Chick to Be Fostered by Pair of Male Penguins

A zoo in New York is celebrating the first chick to be fostered by a pair of male penguins, who are now said to be “doing a great job” at raising the newborn.

Per a report over the weekend from the Washington Post, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo (based in Syracuse) has long worked toward improving the population size of Humboldt penguins. Notably, Humboldt penguins are currently among those considered a “vulnerable” population by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The chick, pictured below, hatched Jan. 1 and is being kept warm and safe by two male Humboldt penguins named Elmer and Lima.

“At our first health check when the chick was five days old, it weighed 226 grams (8 ounces),” Rosamond Gifford Zoo Director Ted Fox explained in a recent press release. “It continues to be brooded and cared for by both Elmer and Lima, who are doing a great job. And once they have experience doing this and continue to do it well, they will be considered to foster future eggs.”

Per Fox, Elmer and Lima’s story is an important one to share because it can “help people of all ages and backgrounds relate to animals.”

As for the chick’s name, that seemingly remains to be determined. Previously, the zoo’s penguin care team had submitted name contenders that were then ruled out via a naming vote.