Baby penguins born at Madison’s Henry Vilas Zoo

MADISON, Wi (WTVO) — Two female African penguin chicks were born in January, three days apart from each other at the Henry Vilas zoo in Madison.

“We are excited to welcome these two new African penguin chicks to the Henry Vilas Zoo family,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi in a news release. “We are proud of the long history Henry Vilas Zoo has with penguin conservation. Many thanks to our staff for taking care of these newest additions and keeping them healthy.”

Newly hatched chicks are born with a soft, downy coat that offers little protection from the winter elements. The new chicks will stay inside until their public debut in April

African penguins are one of the most endangered types of penguins. While they once had numbers in the millions, recent estimates say there are less than 17,000 breeding pairs left in the wild.

The zoo says they will name the two chicks later this month.

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