Speculation/Future of Emperor Penguins in captivity

peruvianbirdie

peruvianbirdie

Well-Known Member
Introduction
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) has got to be arguably the most iconic and popular of all penguin species (or at least Antarctic/cold-weathered penguins). They have appeared in many media such as films like Happy Feet and Surf’s Up, then you have documentaries like March of the Penguins, Dynasties, Snow Chick: A Penguin's Tale, Secrets of the Penguins, and much more presenting these birds. They were even presented in the main Zoo Tycoon series. What is ironic is that when Planet Zoo presented their first penguin being the closely related King Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), some fans demanded and preferred the Emperor despite the fact that the irony is that this iconic species of penguin is very rare in zoological facilities outside of Asia with only ONE institution in North America housing them. In my real first thread (let’s forget my unprofessional “Ley Mincho Law” shall we), I want to make a discussion speculating about the future of Emperor Penguins in North America and possibly other continents or countries. I have been meaning to make this thread since the relocation of the penguins from SeaWorld CA, but it’s finally here! Note that this is going to be a bit lengthy but hope to have sections focusing on aspects such as potential facilities, importation, etc.
 
Emperors Move to Orlando
As we might know, SeaWorld CA has sent their remaining emperors to SeaWorld FL this year now making them the only holder of the species in the country and outside China and Japan. I am sure this move created mixed reactions and rightfully so for this was a very risky transportation of the country’s only emperor penguins. Thankfully, it seemed that all the birds made it (emphasis on “seemed” which will be explained in a bit). My personal two cents on this decision admittedly bittersweet: even if I do find Orlando’s complex superior. It is sad to lose such a charismatic and rare species and I feel for the aviculture team and visitors who missed the opportunity to see them. It is unfortunate SeaWorld CA didn’t make an official announcement until article publication after the penguins arrival in Orlando, sadly this is the norm nowadays to avoid ARA intervention (surprise no rant from PETA’s SeaWorld of Hurt how SeaWorld moved the least heat-tolerant species of penguins across the states). I am grateful the penguins made it safety to Orlando and especially grateful they get to be on the main exhibit as opposed to BTS, as mentioned Orlando’s Antarctic Realm (formerly known as Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin) is a phenomenal world-class exhibit (I know that's debatable with the also excellent Detroit and Abu Dhabi) and I am glad the emperors get to be part of it! I also am grateful for the work San Diego has done with their penguin program being the kickstarter (iirc) of starting the penguin program towards the other SeaWorld parks in the U.S. as well as being considered world-class in its debut which still stands adequate imo. However I still have concerns especially for the future of the population. The colony stands at 16-18 individuals which is very low for a sustainable population (with articles stating 16 as opposed to 18 by SeaWorld which included Pearl, I’m hoping this was a miscount on the editor’s part but I believe SeaWorld has recalled their colony on the older side so sadly any passings shouldn’t be shocking). With a small number of individuals, I am hoping that Orlando (alongside other facilities) will be able to obtain more emperors to keep up the population.
 
Current Population
This part was challenging as I don’t have access to studbooks and information seems to be classified and vague. @Sphenisciologist: Penguin Population in USA, Canada, & Mexico and @Chlidonias: Catalogue of Penguins in Captivity Worldwide have made phenomenal lists and thread that I recommend you check. Here is list of facilities according to Zootierliste (please let me know if anything is inaccurate):


Note: red indicates uncertainty


North America
United States
-SeaWorld, Orlando (0.0.16) or (0.2.16: Original population including Pearl & Esther)


Asia
China
-Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Zhuhai

-Hutan Amusement Park, Dalian (according to Google doesn't exist or is renamed?)

-Underwater World, Nanjing

-Haichang Polar Ocean Park, Qingdao

-Haichang Ocean Park, Shanghai

-Haichang Polar Ocean World, Tianjin


Japan
-Adventure World, Shirahama

-Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, Nagoya
 
Breeding
As of this year, chicks have been born in both Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (0.0.2) and Adventure World (0.0.1). Port of Nagoya had breeding penguins but no eggs fertile according to their media page. I am sure SeaWorld Orlando is interested in breeding but this is more likely depending on the birds.

Something I find very interesting is how successful Asia seems to be with emperor penguins breeding, of course this mainly can come down to luck. But there were a staggering 13 chicks born at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in 2023 the same year SeaWorld San Diego had their first chick born in over a decade, and I do not think San Diego has ever had that close to that chicks born. I wondered how?

  • Could it be more land space?

  • More space in general?

  • Or more individuals?
I think the last point might make more sense with SeaWorld’s population being 16-18 meaning that would be about 8 pairs whereas the population number in Chimelong is greater. If anybody can answer or correct me please don’t hesitate.
 
Future of the Orlando Colony/ Importing More Penguins
Right now the future of the Orlando colony is uncertain, unsure if individuals will breed despite the bigger space provided. Another thing to note is that many individuals are already getting to that old age (though they still might be able to breed). I personally feel like it's about time new individuals be imported either from Asia or from the wild. I think many of us would prefer if we got some birds from facilities like Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (China) or Adventure World (Japan), though I think legislation and rules prevent transfers between foreign countries. Which brings me to a question, all the emperors descend from wild-caught individuals? And has SeaWorld ever sent their own birds to Asia? (perhaps not b/c possible legislation). It is bummer if this can’t be done since IIR in this forum recently China and Japan has had a decline of Pygoscelis or other species (?) in which I think North America has a stable growing population of adelies from the SeaWorld parks and Zoológico Guadalajara and gentoos definitely being abundant; maybe trading some individual species (few emperors for some adelies or other) would have been beneficial. This then leads us to the next (most controversial) option, importing wild-caught specimens.


Alright so SeaWorld has absolutely acquired emperor penguins from the wild with the obvious being their first specimens alongside other sub/antarctic species about 1977. They also acquired some chicks for a scientific study from the McMundo Station, Antarctica in 2011 which actually sparked some outrage most notably from yours truly The Dodo and PETA/SeaWorld of Hurt. I obviously don’t support The Dodo or PETA but I do admit they do make a point about the dedication and sacrifices emperor penguins do for their young. I was very mixed in finding that SeaWorld took chicks (technically not them themselves but they were approved by the government for the study). Besides, more likely the chicks were orphans and saved from starvation or being eaten alive by a giant petrel. And even if emperors have been seen fostering chicks, it is usually short term as they lose interest and abandon the foster chick. Now I wonder since adults and chicks are the ones usually imported, would fledglings or juveniles be a consideration? I feel like it might be better ethically since the parents have already abandoned them at that stage of life. I know this would be risky and more likely cause media outrage (I mean look how people reacted when SeaWorld Abu Dhabi acquired wild manta rays) and penguins are of course charismatic and prone to anthropomorphism especially with modern documentaries. In the end, importing from Asia and Antarctica will both be stressful no matter what but also significant to the genetic diversity and population for SeaWorld’s colony. If importation is possible, I don’t think SeaWorld should be the only one, it would be beneficial for multiple facilities to also join in (and not just for all fingers to point at SeaWorld).
 
Zoos That Can Probably House Emperor Penguins
Emperor penguins have always been notoriously difficult for zoological facilities to care for primarily due to their environmental requirements. Many facilities have attempted caring for these penguins but with no long term success. However, penguin exhibits have evolved and become more advanced to be able to provide cool temperatures, snow, and a lighting cycle. It is about time and long overdue more zoos/aquariums start housing emperor penguins in order to maintain a healthy population in North America and even maybe other continents and countries. Despite facilities wanting to focus on saving Antarctica, right now emperors are being threatened with climate change (we had a few years ago a breeding catastrophe for crying out loud!), I think that saving our poles is an effort they cannot do without everyone, we are talking about a whole continent and region. We should be sure that we have at least a stable and healthy ex-situ population of emperor penguins in at least a few more countries or continents. Here are some facilities I believe have the potential to house emperors (feel free to add your picks as well):

*note I added (also feel free to add) zoos/aquariums outside North America

  • Detroit Zoo

  • Loro Parque

  • Zoológico Guadalajara

  • Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

  • Kansas City Zoo

  • Central Park Zoo

These facilities can possibly reduce temperatures and it's already advantageous that all except I think Central Park adds snow. One roadblock is that 3/6 hold rockhoppers which the species had to be phased out when the emperors arrived at SeaWorld Orlando. We never got an official reasoning from Orlando on why they moved all their rockhoppers to SeaWorld San Antonio and from the AZA manual I think that rockhoppers and macaronis share the same temperature range? This might mean that these facilities would need to phase out or move their rockhoppers to make the temperature requirement for emperors if interested. I would feel comfortable with at least 3 zoological parks holding a breeding population of emperor penguins.
 
Conclusion
At the end of the day, all this with importing more emperors and more zoos outside Asia being interested in creating breeding colonies is highly unlikely. I feel like all of this comes from my selfishness and selflessness of wanting the emperor penguin to not be phased out here in North America, it is such a shame because they really are magnificent and would not want to imagine a world without them. Yes I might be thinking hyperbolic here, but I do justify the zoo world trying to maintain diverse populations with emperors and Antarctica going through a lot right now and with emperors have recently become Near Threatened and of course that disaster breeding fail. On the bright side, China and Japan at least seem to have a growing population so they won’t entirely disappear in the zoo world. This was my first real thread that I am grateful I got to finally accomplish, though I know there are lots of flaws and things can be re-worked on my part. But thanks for sticking with me, please share your opinions and speculations.
 
There are quite a few reasons for why Chimelong is more successful compared to SeaWorld in emperor breeding. Chimelong’s habitat is more recently designed, so they were able to cater it to the emperors needs and prioritize breeding success. SeaWorld San Diego built their habitat in the 70’s-80’s, a time when penguin husbandry had advanced but not enough to fully meet the requirements of a hardy species like the emperors. The SeaWorlds also house the emperors as the minority species in the population with little space compared to the king, Pygoscelis, and macaroni populations. Chimelong’s emperor penguins by far take up most of the habitat, so breeding among a flourishing colony is more likely.
Another thing is money. China invests millions of dollars into these huge corporation parks which allow them to get the funding to have such a large and suitable exhibit that can be properly maintained. American economics and infrastructure just can’t cater to that in the same way.

Wakayama received their emperors from SeaWorld San Diego, I believe either in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s, back when the emperor population was in the 50’s. Gathering emperor penguins from the wild is highly unlikely now due to their protection from the Endangered Species Act. It’s possible that permission could be granted by the USFWS in addition to support from various scientific organizations, but it’s a long shot. It’s not impossible, but it would be extremely hard and there are a lot of ethical and technical hurdles to be considered. A convincing case would have to be made, as much as I would like to see such a thing happen. As interesting as it would be to see other zoos join SeaWorld in an effort to conserve the species, it doesn’t feel like something that would be on the agenda at least for trad zoos, expect for maybe Detroit. Most zoos that have the funds for that sort of things would prefer to channel their funds towards other projects that are more financially secure, considering the little success the species has had in NA facilities.

As someone who has seen Central Park’s penguin exhibit, there is no way it could house emperor penguins comfortably. It can barely house king penguins comfortably as is. The terrain is rough and bumpy, clearly mimicking the coastal breeding areas of the smaller Antarctic species. I could see Omaha and Kansas City working, but they would have to grossly adjust their current habitats to accommodate. Guadalajara seems small but might meet close to the husbandry requirements as they house Adélies.

Bottom line for the American population is that the future success of this species is uncertain. We’ll just have to see how well Orlando does with them. It could be a change for the better, who knows.
I personally hope that facilities do direct more energy towards Emperor Penguin conservation, but I hope there’s more of an in-situ focus (supporting research efforts, sustainability initiatives of Antarctic food webs, combatting climate change and the OZone’s effects, etc.). If we want most zoos to have a realistic ability to be able to help such an environmentally-restricted species like Emperor Penguins, there needs to be work done beyond just the thrill of being up-front and close with the animals in terms of the work being done by the organization.
 
Sphenisciologist said:
There are quite a few reasons for why Chimelong is more successful compared to SeaWorld in emperor breeding. Chimelong’s habitat is more recently designed, so they were able to cater it to the emperors needs and prioritize breeding success. SeaWorld San Diego built their habitat in the 70’s-80’s, a time when penguin husbandry had advanced but not enough to fully meet the requirements of a hardy species like the emperors. The SeaWorlds also house the emperors as the minority species in the population with little space compared to the king, Pygoscelis, and macaroni populations. Chimelong’s emperor penguins by far take up most of the habitat, so breeding among a flourishing colony is more likely.
Another thing is money. China invests millions of dollars into these huge corporation parks which allow them to get the funding to have such a large and suitable exhibit that can be properly maintained. American economics and infrastructure just can’t cater to that in the same way.

Wakayama received their emperors from SeaWorld San Diego, I believe either in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s, back when the emperor population was in the 50’s. Gathering emperor penguins from the wild is highly unlikely now due to their protection from the Endangered Species Act. It’s possible that permission could be granted by the USFWS in addition to support from various scientific organizations, but it’s a long shot. It’s not impossible, but it would be extremely hard and there are a lot of ethical and technical hurdles to be considered. A convincing case would have to be made, as much as I would like to see such a thing happen. As interesting as it would be to see other zoos join SeaWorld in an effort to conserve the species, it doesn’t feel like something that would be on the agenda at least for trad zoos, expect for maybe Detroit. Most zoos that have the funds for that sort of things would prefer to channel their funds towards other projects that are more financially secure, considering the little success the species has had in NA facilities.

As someone who has seen Central Park’s penguin exhibit, there is no way it could house emperor penguins comfortably. It can barely house king penguins comfortably as is. The terrain is rough and bumpy, clearly mimicking the coastal breeding areas of the smaller Antarctic species. I could see Omaha and Kansas City working, but they would have to grossly adjust their current habitats to accommodate. Guadalajara seems small but might meet close to the husbandry requirements as they house Adélies.

Bottom line for the American population is that the future success of this species is uncertain. We’ll just have to see how well Orlando does with them. It could be a change for the better, who knows.
I personally hope that facilities do direct more energy towards Emperor Penguin conservation, but I hope there’s more of an in-situ focus (supporting research efforts, sustainability initiatives of Antarctic food webs, combatting climate change and the OZone’s effects, etc.). If we want most zoos to have a realistic ability to be able to help such an environmentally-restricted species like Emperor Penguins, there needs to be work done beyond just the thrill of being up-front and close with the animals in terms of the work being done by the organization.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your feedback :) Never knew all that about Chimelong and China very interesting. I also wanted to add since the emperor colony at San Diego used to be big if some birds went to the now closed SeaWorld Ohio then back? I will admit that the Central Park Zoo was a bias pick for me (despite also thinking size being a little small for additional great penguins) b/c I wanted a WCS facility to partake in caring for them (quite a noob/novice in the Zoo community and from what I have heard here might be on the fence in regards to WCS). Absolutely why I also chose Guadalajara as they already housed Adelies though didn't considered the size of the exhibit. And I agree focusing in-situ is just as important and should be continued be showcased and elaborated more to the public and visitors. With Emperors now in Orlando and hoping a renovation of San Diego's penguin exhibit (instead of a whole phase-out in sub-antarctic), the parks have the potential to showcase and stress the importance of the Antarctic ecosystem.
 
peruvianbirdie said:
Zoos That Can Probably House Emperor Penguins
  • Detroit Zoo

  • Loro Parque

  • Zoológico Guadalajara

  • Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

  • Kansas City Zoo

  • Central Park Zoo
Click to expand...
I'd like to perhaps nominate Faunia Madrid as well. While not as large as the enormous Planet Penguin at Loro Parque, Faunia also has (at least from what I understand), a solid track record with penguins, including all three species of Pygoscelis, and at least from my visit back in December 2023 the facility was in good condition.

Of course Loro Parque would be the ideal option, and Emperors would be a huge draw for the zoo, but as this thread explains, sourcing individuals would be very challenging, and hints at in-situ being a better conservation approach.
 
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