Ten emperor penguin chicks born in Antarctic conditions, but in tropical Zhuhai during June, July, and August, made their public debut Nov 8 at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin New Area.

Since emperor penguins breed in winter, Chimelong must simulate the environmental conditions of Antarctica in that season, with attention to temperature, humidity, lighting, and the ratio of land to water areas, according to senior caretaker Zhang Xueping. 

Chimelong emperor penguin chicks are measured for height [Photo by Zhu Xi / Guanhai App]

Penguins require clean air, high-quality water, and natural food inasmuch as their living environment in the wild is clean. This requires their artificial habitat to be at a high-level in terms of hardware and technology.

Some of the 10 emperor penguin chicks have finished molting, while others have just begun. Their height varies from 30 to 80 cm (1 to 2.6 ft).

This is the first time for the number of newborns at Chimelong to reach double-digits, another milestone in biodiversity protection since the facility hatched nine emperor penguins with a birthrate success of 100 percent in 2017.

Chimelong staff monitor the hatching of the emperor penguins round-the-clock, and minimally interfere if the chick grows well, hatching goes smoothly, and the parents feed it. There are 18 species of penguins in the world. Chimelong has introduced seven, five of which have been successfully bred. The number of newborns is increasing every year.

The resort will further improve scientific research for marine animal breeding and conservation, raising awareness of marine life among Chimelong's tens of millions of visitors, stated Jiang Minling, general manager of Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.