Cisarua, Bogor (ANTARA News) - The rare Humboldt Penguin (Speheniscus Humboldti) can now be seen at Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI), Cisarua, Bogor, West Java.
Six pairs of the animal arrived at TSI on February 2,2008 from Tokyo`s Sea Life Park, Japan, to be saved from extinction.
TSI spokesperson Yulius Suprihardo said the animals, aged between 10 and 13 years, had been placed in a special pond and cage.
Their new home was equipped with a temperature controlling system and a device to maintain the salinity level of the water in the pond in order to emulate their natural habitat near the South Pole.
TSI would feed the penguins "teri" and "japuh" fish.
Native to South American, the 12 penguins still need to be quarantined under the supervision of TSI`s medical team, consisting of Tokyo veterinarian Hiroshi Takeuchi and the head of TSI`s nursing department, Imam.
Yulius said the animals were in a reproductive phase and expected to breed at TSI.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) reported that human activity had caused a drastic decrease in the Humboldt penguin population and the species was now on the brink of extinction. Only 12,000 Humboldt penguins are now left in their natural habitat.
The animals reproduce by laying eggs in holes in the ground for an incubation period of 40-42 days.
Their natural habitats lie along the Pacific coasts of South America, close to the South Pole.
The species can dive to depths of 60 to 150 meters at a speed of 14 km per hour to catch prey.
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