Another new addition is being celebrated at the Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey.
Just weeks after the aquarium announced the arrival of two baby African penguin chicks, a third baby is joining the colony.
This is the 53rd penguin to be born at Adventure Aquarium who hatched on Nov. 21 to parents Mushu and Hubert.
As part of the celebration for this new guy’s arrival, the aquarium is hosting a naming contest where visitors can choose between:
- Scrappy
- Zero
- Flounder
- Toothless
In order to vote, you can submit your choice in person through donation boxes throughout the aquarium until Jan. 19.
The contest will benefit AZA SAFE African Penguins and The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds.
This new chick joins two other babies, Oscar and Duffy, who were welcomed by the aquarium in December.
Officials said the arrival of the three chicks marks an incredible milestone for African Penguins as the species was recently reclassified as critically endangered due to habitat loss and environmental factors.
The aquarium shared that African Penguins are native to the coast of southwestern Africa and, despite their size, can eat up to 20% of their body weight in one sitting.
Without conservation efforts, experts predict that African Penguins could be functionally extinct by 2035, which emphasizes the importance of protecting and conserving species.
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