China Reports Success in Breeding Antarctic Penguins

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 26, 2003

China Reports Success in Breeding Antarctic Penguins

An aquarium in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian confirms that two Antarctic penguins have survived from four hatched in mid December.

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An aquarium in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian confirms that two Antarctic penguins have survived from four hatched in mid December.

Insiders say this is the first successful breeding of Antarctic penguins in China.

At two months old, the fledgling penguins weigh five to six kg each -- not much less than their parents but they are still much shorter and weaker, says Yu Changzhe, a worker at the Dalian Shengya Aquarium.

As penguins normally are mature at two months old, Yu says the two youngsters will learn to swim and catch their prey in another two weeks.

"In fact, they are already brave enough," he said. "They know how to defend themselves with their beaks and wings when other penguins try to harass them."

Altogether 11 eggs were produced at the aquarium last November among six Antarctic penguin pairs. Four chicks were hatched between December 17 and 20, but two died shortly afterwards.

As one of the major tourist attractions in the seaside city, the Shengya Aquarium has received flocks of visitors since it imported 17 penguins from a New Zealand breeding base close to Antarctica.

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