It’s a bird... it’s a plane... it’s a bird on a plane! Penguins can’t fly, but last month, two Humboldt penguins took to the friendly skies on a flight from Seattle, Wash., to the Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas, escorted along the way by the Zoo’s animal care team.
They joined the Zoo’s new colony, which includes six other Humboldt penguins that traveled 1,800 miles over several days and two others that arrived more recently. Guests will be able to give the Humboldt penguins a big Houston welcome at the grand opening of the Galápagos Islands on 7 April.
Galápagos penguins are the most endangered species in the world, with an estimated population of fewer than 2,000 individuals. For this reason, closely related Humboldt penguins represent them in the Zoo’s new habitat. Galápagos penguins are threatened by overfishing, pollution, and climate change and are protected from leaving their native lands.
Humboldt penguins are also a great fit for Houston since they originate from coastal Chile and Peru in South America, which can get as warm as 100 degrees. However, they will not have to battle the Houston heat as they will live in a climate-controlled environment that also protects them from mosquitos that can carry avian malaria.
By visiting the Zoo, guests are helping to save marine animals in the wild, like the Galápagos and Humboldt penguins. A portion of each zoo admission ticket supports the Zoo’s recycling and reduction program. Replacing single-use plastic items with reusable options keeps plastics out of the ocean and animals out of harm’s way. Since going single-use plastic bag and straw free, the Houston Zoo has reduced using approximately 80,000 plastic bags and 23,000 plastic straws annually.
Photo Credit: © Houston Zoo
Edited by Sarah Gilsoul, a writer and communications program assistant at AZA.
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