CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (WABC) — It’s a boy! An endangered baby penguin born late last year is making his debut at the New York Aquarium.
The chick, which hatched on Dec. 4, 2025, is now joining his parents in the community of 37 African penguins at the aquarium’s Sea Cliffs habitat.
He is the 19th African penguin to hatch at the New York Aquarium.
African penguin chick’s weight is measured during a veterinarian exam at New York Aquarium on December 12, 2025.
@WCS
The African penguin, a flightless bird, is native to South Africa and Namibia. They are one of the smallest penguin species in the world and are considered critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Their wild populations have declined 75% in the last two decades due to human disturbance, habitat loss, and scarcity of prey fish.
It is estimated there are only 9,900 breeding pairs that remain in the wild.
African penguin chick stands on a scale to be weighed during a veterinarian exam at New York Aquarium on January 28, 2026.
@WCS
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.