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San Francisco Zoo Hatches Three Magellanic Penguin Chicks

The chicks are being hand‑reared after staff incubated eggs with AZA approval to restart breeding following recent penguin deaths.

The three penguin chicks are growing steadily and will have their “fluff” for the next several weeks, the zoo said. 
The San Francisco Zoo’s three new Magellanic penguins are being reared by humans because the colony has not hatched chicks in several years.
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Overview

  • The zoo says three Magellanic penguin chicks hatched nearly four weeks ago and are currently growing steadily in a behind‑the‑scenes nursery.
  • Staff removed viable eggs for incubation because many potential parents lacked recent breeding experience, and keepers are providing nearly 24‑hour feeding and care.
  • Curator Quinn Brown secured approval from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to resume selective pairings after several older penguins died, a move intended to protect genetic balance across AZA facilities.
  • Keepers will teach the chicks to swim as they mature and plan to introduce them to Penguin Island during the zoo’s summer 'March of the Penguins' event for members.
  • Magellanic penguins live on South America’s southern coast and are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, and the San Francisco Zoo has long been one of the most productive AZA breeding colonies, which shapes its careful, genetics‑focused breeding strategy.