Chick Lit
Raising Chicks
If you told me a year ago I'd be raising eight penguin chicks, I absolutely wouldn't believe it. This summer we had four gentoos and four chinstraps hatch at the Central Park Zoo's Polar Circle. It's been an amazing experience watching them grow.
You've heard the expression "It takes a village"? That definitely applies to raising penguins. The core keeper team—Juan, Ronnie, Diana Major, and I—traded off working 10–13 hour shifts, 6 days a week to care for the chicks during the first two months.
My friends are jealous. They say, "Ohhhh, you get to raise baby penguins?" Then I explain what we do, and how messy it gets, and they understand it's hard work. Don't get me wrong—it's a very rewarding job, but also tiring.
Zookeeping is a lot of thinking on your feet, and takes practice. One day you're working with snow leopards, the next day it's snow monkeys. With the penguins, I started off working with the adults, which taught me a lot about their behaviors, and what to expect with the chicks. The rest I learned from the other keepers, Diana and Juan, who'd raised penguins before. Soon, it becomes second nature.
