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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2007)
Page 28 The INDEPENDENT, April 19, 2007 Baby Humboldt penguin born at Oregon Zoo to celebrity mother On March 27, a baby Hum- boldt penguin was born at the Oregon Zoo. Its parents, Pico and Bonita, are raising it. Boni- ta, the mother, is a bit of a pen- guin celebrity – three years ago she was featured on the Animal Planet show “Growing Up Pen- guin.” The hour-long documen- tary, to be rebroadcast April 26 at 3:00 p.m., follows her life from hatching to first swim to leaving the nest for good. Because penguins do not have external sex organs, the chick’s gender is currently un- known. “We won’t know its sex until we do a blood test, or it lays an egg or it doesn’t lay an egg,” says Rick Yazzolino, pen- guin keeper. A video of the penguin chick can be seen at: http://www.ore gonzoo.org/VideoArchive/Baby Penguin.htm. Humboldt penguins are na- tive to the warm coastal waters of Peru. Of the 17 penguin species, Humboldt penguins are among the most threat- ened. Several factors threaten the species including over-fish- ing, natural predators, and dis- ruption of breeding habitat by humans. Humans harvest guano (bird droppings) for fertil- izer, which disrupts the pen- guins nesting habitat and caus- es increased death rates in the penguin population. Humboldt penguins (Sphen- iscus humboldti) stand 15 to 18 inches tall and weigh an aver- age of 9 pounds. They eat fish and squid in the wild; at the zoo, they enjoy smelt or her- ring. They are very agile in the water and can swim at speeds of up to 30 mph. Humboldt penguins breed year-round and their eggs incu- bate for 40 days before hatch- ing. The young penguins eat food regurgitated from their parents and try swimming for the first time at about 3 months. With nearly 30 penguins, the Oregon Zoo has one of the largest collections of Hum- boldts in the country. The zoo opens at 9 a.m. dai- ly and is located just off High- way 26. General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants two and under are free. BBQ 07O Fo o d T as t es B et t er O n A me r ic a ’ s B E S T Sm o ke r ❥ A ut o -s ta r t Sy s t e m ❥ F u l ly A u t om at i c ❥ S m ok e, Gr i l l, Ba ke 599 $ Penguin Keeper Rick Yazzolino listens to the lungs and heartbeat of a 15-day-old Humboldt penguin during a health checkup at the Oregon Zoo. Easy Storage with Quick-Fold Handles a nd B ar be c ue Just In Time for Spring Honda’s New HRX217VKA Lawnmower Exclusive Auto Choke System Exclusive Versamow System™ Offers Combination Bagging, Mulching and Discharging with No Attachments Required ❥ 1 2 V ar i e ti e s o f Ha r d wo od P e ll et s Store Hours Mon - Fri 8:30 - 5:30 Saturday 8:30 - 5:00 Infinitely Variable "Smart Drive" Forest Grove Honda “Your home town Dealer” Serving the local community for over 63 years 2008 Main Street • Forest Grove • 503-357-6011 3619 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove (877) 500-7300 or ( 503) 357-7300 For optimum performance and safety, we recommend you read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment. © 2007 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Honda Twin Blade System for Superior Bagging and Mulching
