New
York, NY – Feb. 4, 2010 - The year is off
to a frosty start, but the newest additions to the Wildlife Conservation
Society’s Central Park Zoo have upped the cool factor even more. Four new king penguins have added a
splash of royalty to the zoo’s famous Penguin House, which is already home to
the gentoo and chinstrap species. These cold-weather birds are all housed in
their newly renamed exhibit within the Penguin House, “Polar Seabirds: Life on
the Edge of the World.”
Though
all of these penguins are black and white, the newest ones are much easier to
spot because of their larger size, making it no surprise why they are the
“kings” of their new castle.All
four of the new king penguins are males. Their names are Lyle, Slappy, Will,
and Robert. Zookeepers say they
are adjusting very nicely to their new home, spending much of their time diving
into their pool and exploring their rocky beach habitat.
Native
to Antarctica and the near-by Falkland Islands, king penguins are the
second-largest penguin species, surpassed only by their close relative the
emperor penguin. While all of these cold-weather birds thrive in water, king
penguins dive far deeper than any
other penguin species, again with the exception of only the emperor penguin.
undefinedundefined The
Penguin House at WCS’s Central Park Zoo is making headlines in other ways, too.
The exhibit has undergone a mini-makeover to improve the experience both for
zoo-goers and the new inhabitants.
Some
new features to the Penguin House include:
- A new name for the penguin
exhibit, “Polar Seabirds: Life on the Edge of the World”
- Exciting new graphics that
illustrate penguins and their habitat
- Videos that will show real
footage of penguins in their natural Antarctic environment
- New pool lighting that
will better illuminate the exhibit, providing a sharper view of the
animals for the public
The
Central Park Zoo has over 60 penguins of the gentoo, chinstrap and king
species. While these types of penguins are not endangered, their habitat faces
serious environmental threats. The oceans where these animals live are facing
many problems including overfishing and the degradation of coastal ecosystems.
Activities such as fishing are important to human communities but can have devastating
effects on natural systems when they are not properly managed. WCS scientists are
looking at how climate change is affecting penguin populations and working around
the globe to address these marine conservation problems that continue to plague
wildlife.
Contact:
Barbara
Russo
212-439-6527; 917-494-5493
brusso@wcs.org
The
Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo - Open every day of the
year. Admission is $10 for
adults, $7 for senior citizens, $5 for children 3 to 12, and free for children
under 3. Zoo hours are 10am to 5pm weekdays, and 10am
– 5:30pm weekends, April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November
through April. Tickets are sold until one half-hour before closing.
The zoo is located at Fifth Avenue and 64th Street. For further
information, please call 212-439-6500 or visit www.centralparkzoo.com
The Wildlife Conservation
Society saves wildlife
and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation,
education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife
parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change
attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in
harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the
integrity of life on Earth.
Special
Note to the Media: If you would like
to guide your readers or viewers to a web link where they can make donations in
support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to: www.wcs.org/donation