LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The proud parents of the Little Rock Zoo’s newest African penguin chick named Dory are mother Skipper and father Eze, who birthed Dory at the recommendation of the African Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP) in November.
The SSP is a program that helps further conservation goals including research and education initiatives. Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Associate of Zoos and Aquariums that helps with conservation efforts of species across the world.
The zoo says Skipper and Eze are the most successful parents at the zoo, with Dory being their sixth chick born out of the nine total.
Dory’s species is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) list, which means there is a threat of extinction. The main cause is energy production, mining and being hunted.
According to the IUCN, there is about 50-thousand African penguins left in the wild. To learn more about how you can help with conservation, click here.
You can see Dory at the Laura P. Nicol Penguin exhibit with all of the other penguins.
To learn more about the Zoo’s penguin chick, Dory, email [email protected].
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