Hera, the first king penguin born at Pairi Daiza, has joined the park's penguin colony after a difficult birth, the park confirmed on Friday 6 September.
Born on 15 July, Hera’s arrival into the world was anything but smooth. Hera had been unable to emerge from her egg on her own due to a development issue in which her coelomic wall (the fluid-filled cavity separating her internal organs from her body's external wall) had not closed properly.
The park's head veterinarian intervened and saved the 180-gram chick thanks to a delicate surgical procedure.
Following her dramatic entrance, the young penguin was hand-fed by the park's keepers for several weeks. Now fully recovered and tipping the scales at over 4kg, Hera is continuing to grow.
Gradually introduced to the colony in a protected alcove, she is getting accustomed to smells and cries of her fellow penguins, explained Pairi Daiza.
Pairi Daiza is home to a variety of Penguin species, including King Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, and Rockhopper Penguins, within its dedicated Penguin area. The zoo is located in the Walloon province of Hainaut.
