SINGAPORE - A colony of 32 penguins has begun settling into its new home in Mandai, which includes two see-through saltwater tanks that let the birds dive to a depth of 7m, ahead of Bird Paradise’s May 8 opening.
Four species of penguins – comprising 11 gentoos, 12 kings, eight humboldts and one northern rockhopper – were relocated to the new Penguin Cove exhibit from Jurong Bird Park on April 28.
Eight of the gentoos arrived at Jurong Bird Park from the Netherlands on Feb 1.
They were quarantined from the other penguins as they were not used to human contact and could cause conflict as a result of being grouped together.
The penguins were among the last of the 3,500 birds to be moved out of Jurong Bird Park to Bird Paradise in Mandai.
Ms Anais Tritto, avian curator for Animal Care at Mandai Wildlife Group, said this was to ensure the new environment is stable for the penguins.
The Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove habitat has lighting that mimics the day and night cycles of the sub-Antarctic Falkland Islands to allow the penguins’ natural biological clocks to follow the seasons in the Southern hemisphere.
Feeding devices that deliver thawed frozen fish into the water have been installed within the underwater rockwork. This is to encourage the penguins to dive and follow their natural hunting behaviours.
Additional time was required to sufficiently condition the penguins for the move.
Avian keeper Nurarlyanti Jasni said the keepers inserted salt tablets into fish that the penguins ate daily to help the birds transition from a freshwater environment at Jurong to a saltwater one at Mandai.
During the move on April 28, the keepers ushered the penguins into crates padded with ice. These were to be stored in a lorry with the air-conditioning set at 12 deg C to match the temperature of the penguins’ habitat at Jurong.
But the lorry that arrived had a faulty air-conditioning unit, so the keepers had to delay the penguins’ relocation till a replacement lorry arrived.
“The welfare of our birds is very important. It was better to hold off for a while to ensure the transportation had the optimal conditions for our penguins,” said Ms Tritto.
Some penguins had to be coaxed into their crates, she added, but they did not show any notable signs of long-term distress as they were released into the new habitat.
Plastic barricades were set up at the exhibit to prevent the penguins from entering the water prematurely. These were removed at about 8.30am on Tuesday after the keepers assessed that the penguins were eating and adapting well to their new home.
Ms Tritto said the penguins had started to move around much more on Monday, an indication that they were adapting to the space they had been confined to since their arrival, and wanted to explore the rest of the exhibit area.
Once the barricades were removed, most of the penguins waddled curiously close to the water’s edge and one took the plunge after about two minutes, albeit accidentally.
A humboldt penguin named Luna, whom Ms Tritto said is typically the first to swim every morning, wandered close to the water before losing her balance and slipping off the exhibit’s rocky beach into the pool.
Making the most of the “accident”, she paddled at the surface to explore the rest of the pool before returning to shore.
Ms Tritto said the keepers will wait for the penguins to enter the water voluntarily in the coming days before starting to feed them using the underwater devices.
The penguins will also be conditioned for an interactive penguin keeper talk. Visitors can see the birds up close while keepers share information about their behaviours and personalities.
There are plans to expand the penguin colony in the future. The Mandai Wildlife Group is working with other member zoos through conservation schemes, such as the offsite European Association of Zoos and Aquaria programmes and the European StudBook programme, to receive other penguins and begin breeding.
