Chongqing Joy Sea World Welcomes First-Ever Twin Gentoo Penguin Chicks

Chongqing - Chongqing Joy Sea World, a large marine science and education aquarium in Chongqing, has announced the hatching of the city's first-ever twin Gentoo penguin chicks, born to a pair of penguins from Antarctica.

After more than 40 days of care, the two chicks have safely passed the critical early stage and are soon to be introduced to visitors.

Gentoo penguins are known for being extremely particular about their breeding environment. To ensure successful hatching, the park's team developed a detailed full-cycle care plan before the breeding season. This included special attention to the parents' nutrition, construction of the incubating nest, selection of pebbles, and 24-hour monitoring of the eggs to prevent cracks or damage.

In September, the mother penguin laid two eggs, a representative from the park's aquatic department said, adding that naturally, the limited space on the penguin's feet made it difficult to safely incubate both eggs at once. To overcome this challenge, the care team implemented an assisted incubation plan, transferring one egg to an incubator while allowing the mother to continue incubating the other. This approach successfully ensured that both eggs hatched.

During the 40-day incubation period, the mother cared for egg No. 2, while the care team managed egg No. 1, closely simulating natural conditions. The park also created a dedicated "nursery" for the penguin family, optimizing conditions with fresh fish feedings, air purifiers, and cooling ice blocks. The chicks hatched successfully on October 28 and 29, both reaching healthy weights, according to the representative.

Over the past decade, the park has undergone multiple upgrades, adding educational exhibits and interactive exploration guides. In the field of polar animal conservation, the team has made significant progress, moving from early failures in penguin hatching to successfully mastering the technique for twin births. Standardized protocols now cover egg selection, temperature and humidity control, and assisted chick-rearing.

"This pair of twin penguins is the greatest reward for our ten years of conservation work," said a representative from the park. Typically, Gentoo penguins have a low breeding success rate in captivity, with usually only one egg hatching per nest. The successful hatching of both eggs is a first for Chongqing. The milestone represents a major breakthrough in marine animal conservation and marks a new achievement with both scientific and educational significance, the representative noted.

The care team continues to monitor the chicks' feeding and weight around the clock, supplementing their diet with krill puree to ensure proper nutrition. The chicks are expected to undergo their first molt in three months and gradually learn to swim over the course of the year, moving toward independent life, according to the park.