Aug. 9, 2012
Baby birds eat a lot of food. And we mean a LOT -- up to a third of their body weight in a single day! As a result, tiny hatchlings don't stay little for long.
Witness two birds that hatched at the zoo this summer.
Our African black-footed penguin chick hatched on June 26, and at two days old, weighed just 58 grams (about 2 ounces). On Aug. 2, at about 5 1/2 weeks of age, the chick weighed a whopping 1,542 grams. That's nearly a 10-fold increase in weight.
(To put this in perspective, imagine your eight-pound newborn baby weighing 80 pounds before it is six weeks old!)
Likewise, our tawny frogmouth chick, which hatched July 8, weighed 43 grams at about 1 week of age. Just 2 1/2 weeks later, the chick weighed 210 grams. Plus, the chick's downy white feathers had already changed into the mottled brown coloration of an adult tawny frogmouth.
Why do some baby birds develop so quickly?
In the wild, it's a matter of survival. Sitting in the nest, unable to fly, a baby bird is defenseless against a predator. The chick's parents spend a huge amount of time and energy gathering extra food and feeding their chick. The faster the chick grows, the sooner it can fend for itself.
At the zoo, the bird parents get a little help from zookeepers, who deliver food daily and supplement the chicks' diets when necessary. But the chicks grow quickly, so the keepers' help isn't needed for long!
To read more about these birds, click on http://kidszoo.org/our-animals/central-zoo/african-penguin/ or http://kidszoo.org/our-animals/australian-adventure/tawny-frogmouth/.
Ride for 1 token on Mad Mondays
Ride for just one token every Monday in August during Mad Mondays!
Enjoy the Train, Boat, Carousel and Sky Safari for just one token per rider instead of the regular price of two tokens, every Monday in August. Tokens cost $1 each.
The Pony Ride is not included in this promotion. Tokens can be purchased at machines located throughout the zoo. Members and non-members can participate.
There is no limit to the number of rides that may be ridden on Mad Mondays. The offer ends Aug. 27, 2012.
Read about all zoo rides at http://kidszoo.org/plan-your-visit/rides/.
Zoo golf outing Aug. 30
Join us for the wildest outing in town, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo's 11th annual Drive You Wild Golf Outing at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Autumn Ridge Golf Course. Enjoy lunch, golf, "wild" activities on each hole and a delicious dinner. Cost is $150 per person or $600 per team.
The Children's Zoo is completely self-supporting. All costs of operations, programs, and improvements are covered by earned revenue and donations. Events like Drive You Wild are important for the future of the Zoo.
Register for Drive You Wild by printing and returning the Registration Form (http://kidszoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2012GolfRegistrationForm.pdf) by mail or fax. If you are interested in sponsorship or contributing to the event, please contact Kelly at 427-6836 or kelly@kidzoo.org. See you on the course!
