On New Year's Day, the Racine Zoo welcomed an African penguin chick into the world where the species is currently endangered.
The zoo says according to 2013 estimates, there are only 50,000 African penguins left in the world.
The chick is one of three hatched at the zoo since January, 2016.
Executive Director Beth Heidorn reports the chick is doing well, as the zoo works to determine the gender of the penguin.
The Racine Zoo has been diligently cultivating our African penguin breeding program over the years,” Heidorn said in a news release. “With the announcement of our new African penguin chick in 2019, we are especially proud to be making a positive long-term impact on African penguin populations, especially as wild populations decline.”
The zoo added four African penguins to its exhibit in 2015. African penguins are found on the southern tip of Africa. Their main threats to survival include habitat loss, oil spills, water pollution and commercial over-fishing.
