For the first time in three years, a male emperor penguin has been born at Antwerp Zoo.
The baby penguin, called Urban, managed to get out of his egg this week. The mother's name is Ra, born three years ago in the same zoo. DNA analysis by the zoo had already revealed that the baby was a male.
Ra was the last descendant of a colony of ten Friesland penguins. Eddy, the father, arrived in 2017 from Edinburgh.
Emperor penguin eggs hatch between 52 to 62 days. Urban came out of his egg after 57 days weighing 256 grams. "He really is a healthy little one," the Zoo’s animal-carer Heidi said.
According to the zoo, visitors can try to spot the little penguin in the coming days. He will be hidden between his parents' legs.
The Brussels Times
