Cincinnati Zoo Celebrates Birth of Endangered African Penguin Chicks

New baby penguins take their first swim at the zoo

Mar. 13, 2026 at 9:31pm

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The Cincinnati Zoo is celebrating the birth of African penguin chicks for the first time in three years. The zoo shared a video of the chicks taking their very first swim, with the zoo director noting this is an important milestone for the critically endangered species.

Why it matters

African penguins are classified as endangered, with their population declining by over 60% in the last 30 years. The successful breeding and rearing of these chicks at the Cincinnati Zoo is a significant conservation achievement that helps ensure the future of this species.

The details

The zoo shared a video on social media showing the newborn African penguin chicks swimming and splashing in the water for the first time. Cincinnati Zoo director Dave Jenike said watching the chicks "paddle, splash and test out their waterproof feathers" was a memorable moment. Jenike has been leading the zoo's efforts to collaborate with colleagues in South Africa to protect the critically endangered African penguins.

  • The African penguin chicks were born at the Cincinnati Zoo for the first time in three years.
  • The zoo shared the video of the chicks' first swim on March 13, 2026.

The players

Cincinnati Zoo

A zoo located in Cincinnati, Ohio that is home to a variety of animal species, including a colony of endangered African penguins.

Dave Jenike

The director of the Cincinnati Zoo who has been with the zoo for over 35 years and is leading efforts to collaborate with colleagues in South Africa to protect the critically endangered African penguin.

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What they’re saying

“Watching them paddle, splash and test out their waterproof feathers for the first time is a moment we won't forget.”

— Cincinnati Zoo (Facebook)

The takeaway

The successful breeding and rearing of these endangered African penguin chicks at the Cincinnati Zoo is an important conservation achievement that helps ensure the future of this species, which has seen its population decline by over 60% in the last 30 years.