MEXICO: Friendly penguins arrive at Mexico City zoo

Record ID: 303494

  • Title: MEXICO: Friendly penguins arrive at Mexico City zoo
  • Date: 17th February 2008
  • Summary: (L!WE) MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (FEBRUARY 08, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HUMBOLDT PENGUINS IN CAGES ZOO VET APPROACHING HUMBOLDT PENGUINS HUMBOLDT PENGUINS SWIMMING VET FERNANDO GUAL-SILL FEEDING HUMBOLDT PENGUINS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VET AND DIRECTOR OF MEXICO CITY ZOOS FERNANDO GUAL-SILL, SAYING "These penguins don't really need snow. They live on the coast of Chile and Peru. They are used to these temperatures: cold at night and warm during the day. They are able to adapt to weather in Mexico City." PENGUINS IN POOL VISITORS LOOKING AT PENGUINS PENGUINS VISITOR TAKING PHOTOS VARIOUS OF PENGUINS AND VISITORS GENERAL VIEW OF ZOO AQUARIUM
  • Embargoed: 3rd March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA9C0Y94C5F2VZLIUKQPBSNJ36X
  • Story Text: Five Humboldt penguins-- a gift from the Japanese city of Nagoya-- recently arrived in Mexico City.
    The penguins come from the zoo of Higashiyama and will remain in quarantine for a month. They will then be moved to the exhibition area so that they can be admired by some 5 million spectators, who annually visit Chapultepec Zoo in the heart of Mexico City.
    The Humboldt penguin is from South America and breeds in Chile and Peru.
    It is named after Alexander von Humboldt, a naturalist and explorer who first described them to the scientific community.
    They are medium seized penguins growing up to 70 cm in height and nest on islands and rocky coasts.
    Vet and Director of Mexico City Zoos Fernando Gual-Sill, told Reuters that these penguins will quickly adapt to the climate in Mexico City, which is usually dry and warm in the spring with a long raining season running from June to September.

    "These penguins don't really need snow. They live on the coast of Chile and Peru. They are used to these temperatures: cold at night and warm during the day. They are able to adapt to weather in Mexico City," said Gual-Sill.
    Due to over-fishing their population of between 3,000 to 12,000 is declining.
    Other zoos in Mexico City such as the Aragon and Los Coyotes also benefit from the favorable 30-year relationship between Mexico and Japan.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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