Web Cam Captures Penguin Hatching At National Aviary

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Who could ever forget the Eagle Cam? It traced the lives of three baby eagles, from the day they hatched till the day they flew from the nest.

Monday morning, the National Aviary on the North Side captured the birth of an African penguin chick on a camera that also runs 24/7.

A second egg, guarded by a mating pair called Sidney and Betty, will hopefully hatch soon.

Penguin specialist Chris Gaus says the newly-hatched bird is not yet visible.

"It's only maybe a little bigger than a golf ball. It's covered in a fluffy, gray, down feather, which helps keep the chick warm. Parents are also kind of sitting on the chick and egg all the time, keeping them warm. So it's basically just a little gray fluff ball at this point."

Four chicks have hatched and grown to full size in the past few years.

The penguins are raised by hand after they're about 21 days old, making them comfortable with the staff and the public.

But down the road, the Aviary has other plans for future birds.

"The eventual goal is to try and introduce animals back into the wild, because unfortunately African penguins are a critically endangered species in South Africa," Gaus says. "They've lost well over 90 percent of their wild population over the last 100 years."

To follow the progress of the new additions, log on to http://www.penguinnestcam.org/

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