Only one species of penguins live along the temperate South African coast, but the number of African penguins is dwindling very close to endangered species status.
Because of that, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is working with Doubletake Studios with its Help Protect African Penguins campaign, an initiative to raise $300,000 to defend these seabirds from extinction by expanding the zoo’s penguin chick nursery.
The two organizations have worked together for more than 15 years to represent the diverse animal collection at the zoo, and its work to safeguard those species.
“Doubletake Studios has been an incredible partner for the zoo in strategically communicating our mission to the community — to connect people with the living earth,” said Jason Davis, the zoo’s senior manager of marketing, in a release.
The African penguin campaign prioritizes little known facts about the zoo’s penguin population. For example, the zoo maintains the only breeding group of the species in Florida.
Since 2001, the zoo has successfully hatched eight chicks. However, in the wild, there are less than 20,000 breeding pairs remaining, a staggering loss from the 141,000 pairs that were recorded only a half-century ago. A larger nursery is crucial to supporting a true penguin colony, officials said, that can give these penguins a “flipper up” from further loss.
Those wishing to donate to the cause can visit the zoo’s gift shop, located at 1101 W. Sligh Ave., in Tampa.
