The San Diego Zoo‘s eighth webcam went live Monday, showing a pair of young penguins in temporary residence in the Children’s Zoo.
Dan and McKinney are living in the kids attraction while their new habitat, Penguin Beach, is under construction.
The exhibit, set to open in 2017, will resemble southern Africa’s shoreline with a sandy beach nestled among towering boulders. Waves from a 60,000-gallon penguin pool will lap on the sand and guests will be afforded both close-up and underwater viewing.
The habitat will also include 30 burrows that lead to nest boxes in a penguin care center, where parents can nurture their chicks.
Zoo officials said the new habitat is funded largely by a $5 million gift from philanthropists Dan and Vi McKinney. Their gift, along with support from 1,550 additional donors, will enable the creation of the habitat and a breeding center that will be home to as many as 50 African penguins.
The species faces many threats in the wild, and is one of the most endangered penguin types. From 2001 to 2009, researchers have noticed a decrease of more than 60 percent in the African penguin population.
— City News Service
