The first King Penguin chick to ever hatch in the Middle East is now at Ski Dubai’s penguin habitat and is being taken care of.
Ski Dubai announced on Sunday that it has welcomed a King chick to its family. It hatched on February 17, 2015 from its egg and is healthy.
The chick is the offspring of parents Bubbles and Wall-E, two of Ski Dubai’s King Penguins who had been taking turns incubating the egg inside the penguin habitat.
King Penguins incubate the egg under a small flap of skin at the top of their feet, rather than building a nest. The parents then share the responsibility of keeping the egg warm and safe.
Once the chick hatched, Bubbles and Wall-E took turns feeding the chick and penguin experts have been closely monitoring the chick’s weight, nutrition and progress. At this time, Ski Dubai is awaiting results from DNA testing to determine the gender of the chick. The results are expected in the coming weeks.
Omar Al Banna, Marketing and Sales Director at Majid Al Futtaim - Leisure and Entertainment, said: “The chick is living proof of the success of our Snow Penguins programme, an extension of the multi-generation breeding programme in the United States. At Ski Dubai, we want all guests to enjoy and share great moments, every day, and we look forward to sharing this special milestone and celebrating the birth of this very special baby King penguin.”
Peter Dickinson, Head of Ski Dubai’s Penguin Department, said that the chick is happy and healthy in Ski Dubai’s penguin habitat.
“In just one month, the chick’s weight has increased from 218 grams to 2,800 grams and it has become a part of the King penguin colony. The chick will not be participating in penguin encounters until it is at least one year old. There is a very specific process before this can occur and the penguin’s health and safety will continue to be our top priority.”
