National Aquarium of New Zealand National Aquarium, Napier

zooboy28 said:
So would you think the white-flippereds came from the IAC or elsewhere (ex-rescue)?
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no I had been under the impression that the only white-flippereds on display were at the IAC but that was really because I had no clue what was behind the Marineland's fences (for example, it wasn't until May 2011 that I found out they had a subantarctic fur seal there). I think the white-flippereds at Marineland were probably rescue birds sent up there before the IAC had a penguin facility (this opened in 2006).

(That is just supposition of course).
 
an article I found (after quite a lengthy search!!) says that Marineland only had one white-flippered penguin: Animal Profiles - Friends of Marineland (this is a site set up after the closure of Marineland so is about as recent as you're going to get in terms of the animals there).

So either there is just the one white-flippered penguin at Napier Aquarium, or more were sent up from the IAC or a local Canterbury rescue outfit.
 
the National Aquarium now has a Black-billed Gull (since late March).
News - National Aquarium, Napier, New Zealand
Mrs Phelps is around 19 years old and was living at Marineland up until a couple of weeks ago. She has had a wing amputated as a result of a break that couldnt be repaired. Black Billed Gulls live mostly inland on lakes and rivers with 95% of the entire population living in the South Island and the remaining 5% living mainly in and around Lake Rotorua. This makes Mrs Phelps quite unique.

Although an elderly lady, Mrs Phelps is in good health and has settled into her new home well. She has already made the aquaintance of most of the penguins when they also resided at Marineland.
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There's a photo of her here: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAq...0391173671720/919492444761585/?type=1&theater

No mention of why the gull only came to the Aquarium recently, when the Marineland closed down so long ago.
 
Chlidonias said:
the National Aquarium now has a Black-billed Gull (since late March).
News - National Aquarium, Napier, New Zealand


There's a photo of her here: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAq...0391173671720/919492444761585/?type=1&theater

No mention of why the gull only came to the Aquarium recently, when the Marineland closed down so long ago.
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That's a cool addition, surely the only one of its kind in captivity? Not sure if its on display or not, but could potentially be living with the penguins.
 
she is on display in with the penguins (the caption on the photo says "Introducing the newest addition to penguin cove. Mrs Phelps is a black-billed gull." and the photo is taken in the penguin exhibit). I don't know of any others on display in a zoo but I dare say there are others in captive situations (i.e. rescue birds as this one is).
 
Same-sex penguin couple raising abandoned chick | Stuff.co.nz
A same-sex Hawke's Bay couple are putting aside their differences for the good of their adopted child, abandoned at birth by its biological mother.

The Little penguin couple, Flip and Miley, stepped up as foster parents for the un-named young bird at the National Aquarium in Napier nearly two weeks ago and despite a few personal issues they appeared to have agreed to work together and raise the chick.

Aquarist and keeper Rebekah Cuthbert said the female couple shared a burrow and took turns caring for and feeding the baby.

While one looked after the chick the other took time out for herself, catching some sun, having a swim, visiting the neighbours and grabbing a bite to eat.

Cuthbert said Miley was fond of Flip, but the feeling didn't appear to be mutual. Despite this they appeared to be doing a good job of their new found responsibilities.

Miley was named after singer Miley Cyrus because she was a "strange bird", and Flip has a stump where one flipper should be.

Cuthbert said the chick would be cared for by its mothers until it reached 10 to 12 weeks old. By then it should be fully independent and ready to leave the couple's nest.

Same-sex penguin parents are rare, but not unheard of.

In 1999 Chinstrap penguins Roy and Silo raised a chick named Tango in New York's Central Park Zoo after spending some time exhibiting courting behaviour and last year female penguins Missy and Penelope from Dingle Oceanworld in Kerry Ireland paired up.

However both couples appeared to display courting rituals, different to the platonic Napier couple.

Next door to Miley and Flip another penguin pair was raising two chicks under two months old.

It was still too early to know the gender of the chicks, which had not been named, but they were about to join a rag-tag family of 13 adult penguins and bring the centre's population to 16.
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