December 22, 2025
Provided Image/Adventure Aquarium
Oscar and Duffy, above, are the two newest African penguin chicks born at Adventure Aquarium in Camden. Their breeding is particularly important, because the species is considered to be critically endangered.
Two African penguin chicks have been born at Adventure Aquarium in Camden. Their birth comes as the species faces increased threats in the wild due to habitat loss and environmental factors.
Oscar and Duffy are the 51st and 52nd African penguin chicks to hatch at the aquarium and the second set to do so in about a year. They were born in the first week of November.
Duffy is named after Jen Duffy, a staffer who has worked on the bird and mammal team since 2006. Oscar is named after the Oscar Mayer hot dog brand — a nod to his parents, Myer and Cornelia, who is also known as Corn Dog. They are expected to go on display in late winter or early spring.
"There are several factors that determine when Oscar and Duffy will be ready to go on exhibit," Assistant Curator of Birds and Mammals Amanda Egen said in an email. "The biggest milestone is losing their down feathers and developing their waterproof feathers. Weather also plays a role, as even if they're physically ready, it may still be too cold for them to be outside."
African penguins are native to South Africa's rocky shorelines and coastal islands. They're fast swimmers that can dive up to 400 feet and eat up to 20% of their body weight at one time. But they're also a struggling species. In October 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified African penguins as critically endangered.
Wildlife experts say African penguins could be functionally extinct by 2035 without prioritizing conservation work. Functionally extinct means there are so few left that they can't perform their ecological functions.
Their declining population is primarily due to food shortages caused by overfishing and a lack of prey. A study found that more than 95% of penguins on Dassen Island and Robben Island, where two critical colonies live, died between 2004 and 2012. Experts believe the penguins likely starved during their molting period, a 21-day period in which African penguins have to remain on land. They typically fatten up in preparation, but without enough prey they don't have sufficient reserves to survive.
Adventure Aquarium says the work of its biologists and husbandry teams help protect the species. Oscar and Duffy's birth follows the birth of Gabby and Shubert, who hatched in December 2024. They were the first African penguin chicks born to the aquarium since 2020.
