On Saturday, five penguins brought from the southern tip of Africa found a new home at Science City’s aquatic gallery. Jitu Vaghani, the state education minister, dedicated the enclosure. The penguins were quarantined and adapted to their surroundings, according to officials.
“This addition will not only bring new attractions to the gallery, but it will also help visitors understand the vast biodiversity sustained by our oceans,” a senior Science City official said.
All penguins live in the southern hemisphere, typically along the coasts of Antarctica, South Africa, South America, parts of Australia and New Zealand, and a variety of islands, including the Galapagos.
African penguins can be found in the aquatics gallery (Speniscus demersus). This species is endemic to the South African coasts, but it can be found living and breeding in human habitats all over the world. African penguin populations in the wild are under threat and are rapidly declining. By 2026, the African penguin is expected to become extinct in the wild.
“A common misconception about penguins is that they must be kept in extremely cold temperatures. This is not correct, and only applies to penguins from the Antarctic region. African penguins live in temperate climates, and we will keep their habitat at around 18°C here at the aquarium “said the official.