The Fort Worth Zoo is announcing another birth with the first-time hatching of a female rockhopper penguin chick zookeepers are calling Darcy.
The zoo said Darcy is the first ever rockhopper to be hatched in Fort Worth and is one of only 36 hatched in accredited zoos and aquariums in the last three years. She was hatched on Dec. 21 and has already reached some important milestones. She's currently 11 inches tall and will be fully grown at about 20 inches by 3 months old. At one year the zoo said she will develop a stripe that will, over the next four years, become her characteristic yellow crest feathers.
"When she received her first exam, she already weighed 2.65 pounds – just big enough to fit in the palms of keepers’ hands!" the zoo said. "She left the nest for the first time on Jan. 15, using this opportunity to stretch her legs and explore her habitat. She is still covered in baby fuzz, but as she grows her waterproof feathers, she is expected to start swimming with the other rockhoppers in the next few months."
The zoo said Darcy was hatched to attentive parents Fredrick and Dot, but the whole colony has taken an interest in her upbringing.
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"Her parents aren’t the only ones protective of the young chick, the rest of the colony has been very attentive," the zoo said. "The group was interested in the egg, and as Darcy hatched, other rockhoppers would come close to catch a glimpse of her. Now, the colony has even started to guard the chick and help preen her feathers."
Rockhoppers are considered vulnerable with populations declining. The staff at the Fort Worth Zoo "worked diligently for decades toward this conservation milestone. Within the last three years, keepers modified lighting to ensure a better UV spectrum for the penguins. The shift in UV lighting allows for better vitamin D and calcium absorption for the penguins, as well as light-timed cycles, to mimic sunrise and sunset in their indoor habitat."
Darcy can be seen now in the penguin habitat.
