Photo: Jay Willet/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Nestled between the zebras and ostrich habitats at the African Experience, African penguins are the newest addition to Franklin Park Zoo.
The new Penguin Coast and the expanded Serengeti Crossing officially opened with a ribbon-cutting on Thursday by Zoo New England CEO Stephanie Brinley. Attendees got a chance to watch the latest additions splash around in the summer heat.
"My favorite penguin fact is about their eyes. So, their corneas actually change shape when they're swimming underwater to flatten out so they can see better underwater than they are in land," explained Assistant Curator Amanda Barr.
Read More: Boston School Committee Approves School That Replaces Teachers With A.I.
Found on the southwest coast of the African Peninsula and in South Africa and Namibia, the penguin population has plummeted by nearly 90% since the 1900s, largely due to overfishing that has depleted their food supply, Barr said.
"They're the only species of penguin that's critically endangered," she explained.
Soon, there will be a total of 18 penguins waddling around in Jamaica Plain. In addition to the flightless feathered friends, part of the $21 million expansion includes new spaces for zebras, ostriches, and, soon to come, wildebeest.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.