Maryland Zoo Hatches Eight Endangered African Penguin Chicks — Kiwi and Cayenne Among New Names

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore announced on Dec. 8 that eight African penguin chicks hatched this breeding season, a welcome development for a species that has suffered steep declines in the wild.

New Chicks And Playful Names

Zoo keepers have begun naming the chicks following a fruits-and-vegetables theme; the first two names released are Kiwi and Cayenne. More names will be shared in the coming weeks as the youngsters grow and are assessed by staff.

Why These Chicks Matter

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) has declined by roughly 90% since the early 20th century, leaving an estimated ~52,000 birds in the wild today. The species is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Captive breeding programs like the Maryland Zoo’s African Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP) play a critical role in safeguarding genetic diversity and supporting future recovery efforts.

The Maryland Zoo times its breeding program to mirror the penguins’ native spring-to-summer season in South Africa and Namibia: the zoo’s breeding window runs from mid-September through the end of February. Since 1967, the zoo has hatched more than 1,000 African penguins and currently maintains the largest African penguin colony in North America.

Conservation And Collaboration

Many penguins hatched at the Maryland Zoo have helped establish new colonies at other institutions; offspring have been sent to zoos and aquariums across 35 U.S. states and in Canada. Jen Kottyan, the zoo’s bird curator and the program leader for the African Penguin SSP (a coordinated breeding program among zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums), emphasized that captive-breeding work complements efforts to address threats in the wild.

“If we can address threats in the wild, such as overfishing and habitat loss, penguins bred through our carefully managed SSP may one day be returned to South Africa and Namibia to help rebuild wild colonies,” Kottyan said. “Every chick hatched here contributes to the species’ long-term survival.”

While legal protections and conservation work continue, zoo-based programs remain a vital bridge between immediate species survival and long-term recovery in native habitats.

Read the original announcement from the Maryland Zoo for more details on the chicks and the SSP program.