PDZA Penguin Chicks - Tacoma Report - June 28. 2024

Six penguin chicks successfully hatched in late May at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, and are being closely monitored by their parents, keepers, and veterinary staff. This is the eighth consecutive year that the zoo has hatched penguin chicks through its participation in the Association of Zoos’ & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® (SSP) managed breeding program for Magellanic penguins. Magellanic penguins are native to the South American shores of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil. Several factors threaten them in the wild, including the proliferation of plastics in the ocean, spills of oil and other hazardous materials, and overfishing.