Rudi and Blümchen: The cheeky penguin chicks conquer the oceanum!

Rudi and Blümchen: The cheeky penguin chicks conquer the oceanum!

In the Ozeaneum in Stralsund there are exciting youngsters! Recently, visitors can admire the first two young animals of the year, who are now conquering the roof terrace. The two new members of the Humboldt Penguin family, with the nicknames Rudi and Blümchen, saw the light of the world in April and bring a breath of fresh air to the penguin community. The zookeeper Anne May describes the two as awakened and playful. While Rudi, the male chick, is particularly cheeky, flowers, the female creature, show up a little more reserved. Another young animal, also hatched in April, did not get through and the cause of death is currently being examined.

A total of 13 Humboldt penguins now live in the Ozeaneum. These animal stars come from South America, where their habitat is very threatened. The oceanum is actively committed to drawing attention to this risk and informs the guests about the critical situation of the penguins in their natural environment. Rudi and Blümchen come from different parents, which ensures a little genetic diversity in the small colony.

four -time offspring this year

The two young animals are not the only newcomers this year. According to the German Sea Museum, there were a total of four chicks this spring. While Rudi and Blümchen are already exploring their outdoor area, the other two still have to stay a little behind the scenes to add size and weight. The parents take care of their little favorites intensively in this time and provide them with food and warmth in the protected nest.

The fruit period of the Humboldt penguins is about 40 days, which gives them a special time of care. All four young animals that have hatched this year are male. Maybe future generations will even provide a fresh wind in zoos in the penguin stocks, since the males will later go on "bridal show" with genetically suitable females.

Humboldt penguins in focus

The fact that Humboldt penguins have a special relationship with their observers is also evident in their habitat. This species was named after the famous naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, who discovered the animals during his travels in South America. It is exciting that Humboldt penguins are not adapted to cold temperatures-only two out of 17 penguinary, namely the royal spenguin and the Kaiserpenguin, live in colder regions. The Stralsund environments are made for these little birds.

The visitors are invited to observe Rudi and Blümchen on their adventures and to find out about the necessary protective measures for their endangered habitat. It is clear that both the oceanum and visitors show a good knack for the preservation of this remarkable way.