Name a Penguin Chick for the New England Aquarium Contest Winner Receives Behind-the-Scenes-Tour August 12, 2010

Name a Penguin Chick for the New England Aquarium

Contest Winner Receives Behind-the-Scenes-Tour



BOSTON — Q: What do Pip, Roast Beef, Pikkewynne and Sanccob have in common?



A: They are names of African penguins at the New England Aquarium. With 11 African Penguin chicks being released to live among the penguins that make their home at the New England Aquarium, penguin fans now have the chance to name a penguin.



The Penguin Chick Naming Contest, which started Friday, Aug. 13 and runs until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22, invites Worcester Telegram & Gazette readers to submit a name for one African penguin. The person who offers the most captivating name will be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour at the Aquarium. The winner will be announced online at www.neaq.org shortly afterwards. He or she will see the breeding area where the chicks were hatched and have the chance to speak with Aquarium biologists.



In following suit with African penguins that are already part of the Aquarium’s 90-penguin exhibit, a NEAq biologist will choose a name that teaches visitors something about African penguins. For example, Pip was named after the lengthy process penguin chicks go through to break out of the shells, known as “pipping,” and Pikkewynne is the word for penguin in Africkaans. Roast Beef and Plum Pudding were named for the islands of the coast of Namibia, which is where African penguins breed. The islands were named by hungry sailors.



Click on the penguin button on the NEAq website to learn more about African penguins and to enter the contest. If the winning name is offered by more than one person, the person who submitted the name first will be declared the winner, so send your name today.