Penguin chick twins are thriving at Coffs Dolphin Marine Conservation Park Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - August 13, 2021 A lucky family gets to see the penguin chicks up close. TWIN baby penguins, BO and Gurple, born recently at Coffs Dolphin Marine Conservation Park, are now seven weeks old and gobbling 16 pilchards each, every day. “That’s about 40% of their body weight in fish,” said Life Science Manager Tiga Cross. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Affectionately nicknamed BO (blue and orange band) and Gurple (green and purple band) the sex of the chicks is still a mystery. “We’re all keen to know but with the Sydney lockdown, it’s taking longer than usual to get results. “The twins will be fully grown at eight weeks, so hopefully we’ll have the results back by then so we can share the news,” Tiga added. Coffs Harbour’s Dolphin Marine Conservation Park team welcomed the twin penguin chicks to their colony of Little Blue Penguins in June. Since then, the penguins have thrived. Gurple has lost almost 80% of its baby down feathers and looks more like a mature penguin each day. “This week we introduced a recall technique to teach them when it’s feeding time. “The recall is a bike bell which we ring three times to let them know to come out of their burrow to eat. “They are fast learners and responding well,” added Tiga. Visitors may be lucky enough to see the chicks when they visit the park, especially at feeding time. Typically, penguin chicks venture out of their burrow and start exploring when they’re fully grown at about eight weeks old. The Little Blue Penguins were born as part of the Australian Species Management Program. Dolphin Marine Conservation Park proudly participates and is responsible for contributing to the survival of Little Blue Penguins and Australian Sea Lions, both endangered species. The Little Blue Penguin is the smallest in the world, with an average height of around 33cm. Tiga Cross is keen for people to understand that apart from predators such as foxes and rats, another threat to Little Blue Penguins is domestic pets, and urges everyone to keep their pets indoors overnight. Find out more about the conservation program here: https://dolphinmarineconservation.com.au/conservation/. By Andrea FERRARI Marine Carer Stacey with a Little Blue Penguin chick Coffs Dolphin Marine Conservation Park says its Little Blue Penguin chicks are doing nicely.
