Aquarium Trainer Saves 100 Endangered Penguin Chicks in Africa
A Boston penguin expert just spent two weeks hand-raising critically endangered African penguin chicks in South Africa, helping save a species that's lost 97% of its population. Her work is part of a growing effort to prevent these beloved birds from disappearing forever by 2035.
When 100 abandoned penguin chicks needed help in South Africa this spring, Diana Major didn't hesitate to fly 8,000 miles to feed them.
The New England Aquarium's Manager of Penguins spent two weeks in Cape Town this April, hand-raising chicks and incubating eggs for the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. She fed baby penguins every few hours, gave medications, and even provided nebulizer treatments to sick birds.
"To play even the smallest role in such an important conservation effort was a truly humbling experience," Major said. After spending her career caring for penguins in Boston, she finally got to help save them in the wild.
African penguins desperately need that help. The species is classified as critically endangered, having lost an estimated 97% of its population. Without intervention, conservationists warn these penguins could functionally disappear by 2035.
The reasons are heartbreaking but fixable. Penguins struggle to find enough food because of ocean changes and competition with commercial fisheries. They also face habitat loss, pollution, and disease that make raising chicks nearly impossible in the wild.
That's where Major and her team come in. Caregivers wear full protective gear and minimize interaction with chicks so the birds won't get used to humans before release. It's labor-intensive work, but it's working.
The Ripple Effect
Major is one of three New England Aquarium trainers who've volunteered in South Africa over the past 18 months. The Aquarium joined the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' African Penguin program in 2023 and now sends one trainer to South Africa each year.
The partnership doesn't stop at rehabilitation. The Aquarium funds conservation work through its Marine Conservation Action Fund and educates thousands of Boston visitors about African penguins daily. Staff members share stories from their South Africa trips during presentations, turning aquarium visits into conservation calls to action.
"There are conservation efforts focused on protecting nesting habitat, improving food availability, and reducing other human impacts," Major explained. The efforts are making a real difference.
The best news? It's not too late. "There's still an opportunity to change the future for this species, but it requires continued action and collaboration," Major said.
One penguin trainer, 100 baby birds, and a global team working together to rewrite an extinction story.
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Based on reporting by Google: species saved endangered
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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