An aquarist tends to a baby Humboldt penguin at Lotte World Aquarium in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Lotte World Aquarium
Lotte World Aquarium in Seoul is offering the public a first glimpse of a baby Humboldt penguin starting Thursday, timed to coincide with the United Nations' International Day for Biological Diversity.
The chick, hatched in February, is the offspring of a seasoned pairing — Pengdol, a 14-year-old male, and Pengsun, an 18-year-old female. Before being deemed ready for the spotlight, the young penguin required months of specialized veterinary care, alongside tailored swimming and socialization training to prepare it for life within the colony.
Beyond the undeniable appeal of a newborn animal, the debut carries a weightier conservation narrative. Native to the rugged Pacific coasts of Peru and Chile, Humboldt penguins are classified as a vulnerable species. Their wild populations are plummeting under the combined pressures of climate change, shifts in marine currents and human-driven habitat destruction.
To counter this decline, the Seoul aquarium has engineered a systematic breeding program rooted in animal welfare. By meticulously replicating the shifting seasonal environment of the Peruvian coast — regulating water temperature, ambient air and artificial daylight cycles — biologists have successfully encouraged natural ecological and mating behaviors. The facility has managed to produce new chicks annually since 2018.
