Endangered African penguin chick born at New York Aquarium in Brooklyn

CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (WABC) -- It's a boy! An endangered baby penguin born late last year is making his debut at the New York Aquarium.

The chick, which hatched on Dec. 4, 2025, is now joining his parents in the community of 37 African penguins at the aquarium's Sea Cliffs habitat.

He is the 19th African penguin to hatch at the New York Aquarium.



The African penguin, a flightless bird, is native to South Africa and Namibia. They are one of the smallest penguin species in the world and are considered critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.



Their wild populations have declined 75% in the last two decades due to human disturbance, habitat loss, and scarcity of prey fish.

It is estimated there are only 9,900 breeding pairs that remain in the wild.



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