November 17, 2023 • 22 mins
Amazing Wildlife is on grounds at the San Diego Zoo to highlight the polar opposite of the polar bear—the penguin! (Fun fact: they don’t live together, despite what you may see on TV or in cartoons). While many species of penguins do spend time around Antarctica, Rick and Marco discuss the different types of penguins that do not. Discover how penguins’ bodies have adapted to survive in cold temperatures, and what makes a penguin’s beak different from that of a hawk, a flamingo, or a parrot. We’ll find out about African penguin conservation, and how zoos have worked together to solve nesting problems—plus, what you can do at home to help penguin conservation!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
What is the s world? Am Marco went Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
To Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife
from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts. This
podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studios and San
Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization which
oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Bark.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Hey, Rick, so do you remember back in the summer
when we did that episode about nocturnal wildlife? Ah?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yes, good old episode six.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
That was kind of a special episode we did to
kick off the Night Times Zo celebration.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Right, that's around an ego, and you gotta say, some
pretty good feedback from people. You know, everyone enjoyed the
way we traded fun facts back and forth, and especially
because it was about nocturnal wildlife.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, that's true. That's true.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And if I remember correctly, we had a lot of
fun recording that episode two.
Speaker 5 (00:55):
Yeah, So are you thinking what I'm thinking that even
though bent Trong's aren't pangus, we should still talk about them.
Uh No, okay, So probably the other thing about the episode, right,
we should do another episode like before where we trade
fun facts back and forth, but this time all about penguins.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, man, exactly right. I love it.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I love it, and especially since we just talked about
the polar opposite of the penguin last episode. Huh, polar bears, Marco.
Polar bears and penguins are polar opposites. They live on
opposite poles of the Earth. Oh man, sorry, not sorry,
my friend. It's one of the best ways for people
to remember that penguins and polar bears don't live together,
no matter what TV or movies might lead you to believe.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
All right, all right, I guess that's a very good point.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
And seeing as we are warm enough to talk about
some cool birds.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Really, you give me a groan for polar opposites, but
you're gonna go with warming up and cooling down.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Huh, rick, I mean we are talking about birds here, man.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I am in the zone. Anything could happen, that's true.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Well, anyway, seeing as we were warm enough to talk
about some it's pretty cool birds. I wanted to make
sure everyone listening knows that not all penguins are found
on the South Pole, or maybe it's better said this way.
Many species of penguin do spend their time on or
around Antarctica, but there are also a lot of them
that don't.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Excellent point Marco.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
In fact, if you come to visit the penguins at
the San Diego Zoo, you will see the African penguin,
native to the southern coast of Africa, along Namibia and
South Africa.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Ooh, Rick, We're really getting to the facts now, aren't we.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yes, we are.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, wait one.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Second, though, let's waddle over to the viewing area where
we can see the beach. You like that, Yeah, so
you know, maybe our audience will able to hear some
penguin noises during this episode.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
All right, lead the way, my friend.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
All right, everyone, Buenosias.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Here we are early morning at the San Diego Zoo,
and the penguins are out and about and being here
at the beach viewing the penguin habitat, it really reminds
me that most people usually see the ocean from land,
from a boat or even flying over in a plane. Now, obviously,
penguins rely on this amazing aquatic habitat for life.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
But did you know this about our conservation hub.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
You know what we see of the ocean from the
shore from ships and even from the high tech underwater expeditions,
it's just a tiny slice of the world underneath the waves.
Oceans hold habitats that are themselves these underwater worlds. I mean,
think about swaying kelp forests right or sunlit coral reefs,
thick beds of sea grass, the darkness of the deep sea,
(03:32):
and so much more. I mean marine plants and vertebrates,
fish and of course birds and mammals all rely on
each other in this complex undersea web, and they're all
dependent on healthy oceans to thrive.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
You know, they really affect.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
A lot of communities, a lot of habitats around the world.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
They got to say, you bring up.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
A good point, Marko, because it's one of those things
where I think some people might have their favorite aquatic
animal or marine life that they see when they're at
the beach or at the zoo. Yeah, but you bring
up the point where it's huge ecosystem. It makes up
the majority of our planet when you look at percentages,
and not only is it its own huge ecosystem, but
then there are a lot of human communities and coastal
(04:10):
wildlife and coastal ecology there really relies on everything the
ocean doesn't offers.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Oh no, totally.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
And you know, when we think of all the hubs,
right that representing all around the world. In my opinion,
I'm sure you can agree, Rick, the ocean just is
probably the one that really affects all those hubs out there.
And there's so much diversity, right, there's that word again, guys, diversity. Yeah, right,
so many interesting animals, organisms, plant life underwater. So it's
really amazing that we get to talk about this hub
(04:37):
today here at the San Diego Zoo.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
It's a bright, beautiful day.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Oh and by the way, guys, if you haven't figured
it out yet, yeah, we're here.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
At the San Diego Zoo. Over here at Africa Rocks.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
We hear the waterfall cascade behind us right now, the
penguins are out and about I see turtle swimming.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's it's really a beautiful spot, right.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
It is it is.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
And I love the fact too that you're talking about
with the ocean and all the diversity.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
We do have African penguins.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Here at the San Diego Zoo and a lot of
times we think of penguins, we think of the Antarctic.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, I want to if you will Marco Entertainment.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Here, I'm going to dive into a few fun facts
about the different species of penguins.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Okay, okay, I like the word chowice dive.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
For example, Marco, you mentioned in the beginning of the
episode here that not all penguins live at the South
Pole or the Antarctic. So there are a total of
eighteen recognized species of penguins alive today, but out of
that eighteen, only two can truly call the Antarctic their
home and three other species. Three additional species use the
(05:39):
northern tip of Antarctica for the breeding season. So when
you do the mouth, that means there are thirteen species
of the eighteen species of penguin that are living somewhere.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Else in the world.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
That's crazy, right, And knowing that, then you might think
that they're all probably close to Antarctic, like the African
penguin friends that we have here at the San Diego
Zoo living in that southern portion of Africa.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And if you do think that, you aren't entirely wrong.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
There are some penguin species found in the southern coastal
areas of South America, Australia, the Falkland Islands, and New
Zealand and just to name a few of the many locations.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
But here's the fun one. There's always an exception to
the rule, Marco totally. They exception to the.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Rule when it comes to penguin species living in and
around or near or within proximity to Antarctica is our
good friend, the Galopagus penguin. They live on the Galopogus Islands,
and for anybody listening who doesn't know those islands strautle
the Equator, they're right off the coast of Ecuador, and
therefore they are the only species of penguin known as
(06:39):
the species that lives in the Northern Hemisphere or north
of the equator, nowhere near Antarctica, and technically if they're
in the northern Hemisphere, closer to.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
The Arctic the North Pole, but by quite a way.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I'm loving honestly, you know.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I gotta say it's a little embarrassing because I am
a bird guy, right, I'm saying that this whole season.
But we were just talking about it the other that
I actually never worked with penguins before.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I'm already learning a lot.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
By the way, excellent, so this is great for all
the listeners, you know, we're learning as you're learning, guys.
And when I think of penguins, my immediate thought goes like,
why do I love birds so much?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Right?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
There's such a fascinating organism. They've mastered the air, the skies,
of course land when I think of an emu or
a cassowary, and of course the oceans as well.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And the thing that I think about the most when
I think of birds are feathers.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
From right, Yeah, I mean it's a very iconic thing
when you think about a bird and all the nuances
of feathers, right, I mean, they're so diverse, right right.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And here's the thing, real quick, I have a feeling
I know what you're going with this, and I can't
wait to hear what you have to say about penguin feathers.
But I'm gonna interrupt real quick because I want to
make sure that our audience is following along and just
how diverse feathers.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Really are before we get into penguin feathers.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So, you have just on a regular flighted bird, right,
you have primary feathers on the wing to give them lift.
You have the tail feathers, you have contour feathers, you
have the downy feathers for installation, all.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
These different things.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
But then you look at something like different pheasant species
or even the peacock, and they have those huge plumage.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
It's just for decor, but also.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
For flirting with the ladies and everything else in you know,
trying to challenge others, right, But that's a feather structure
as well.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
And then we get to.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
The penguin friends, and they're flightless and they're pretty much
black and white. So Marco, what do you got for
us on feathers for the penguins?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
No?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I know, And honestly I tried to condense his friend
because there's so much to talk about just with feathers alone.
As Rick was talking about, you guys, I mean, just
close your eyes. But if you're driving, don't close your eyes.
Don't close Think a condor wing, right, Think how a
hummingbird flies.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Think about some of the adaptations Rick was just talking about.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
I mean, some of the reasons birds have feathers for
camouflage like an owl, for hunting like a falcon, or
staying warm or staying cool. Well, like you mentioned, attracting
a mate like a peacock. Right, But when it comes
to a penguin. These aren't birds that have decided, you
know what, flying maybe it's not for me, right, I mean,
you think about all these species one thing in common.
They're attached to this ocean hub, right, they were talking
(08:55):
about they have this deep rooty connection with the sea,
and at one point this she's needed to decide, you know,
am I gonna fly or am I gonna swim? And
when you think of all the birds in the world, penguins,
by far.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I think, are the best swimmers out there and divers.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
And when you think of those feathers, you guys, the
standard feather that we all think about in those filaments,
as Rick was saying, the primary feathers or those feathers
that we talk about that are on the flight the
wing for the bird species to take off and gain flight.
For penguins, they're different, so they're not designed for flight.
They're tightly compacted.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
So for instance, penguins have more feathers than any other
bird on the planet.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
It's literally about one hundred feathers per square inch I
fin of the one square imagine that.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
So it's funny because I never thought of that. But yeah,
I mean, you think of condors and they're huge, right,
so they must have all these feathers, right, But because
the feathers on penguins are so small and dense, oh wow, tightly.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Compacted, right, And if you think about an animal like
a sea otter or kind of the same idea, right,
tightly compacted hairs, and these shiny little feathers are uniformly
overlapping the penguin's skin. So penguin others, they're highly specialized.
The short they're broad, they're closely spaced, and as we said,
this helps keep water away from the skin.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Right.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
And of course those tufts are downy feathers. You can
call them the really white fluffy feathers. You know, those
are really made that insulation, right, So I think that's great.
And one other little thing about the feathers that wanted
to add. Everyone knows about a molt, or maybe for
not the middle of the molt. You know, it's like
it was just a low right, you know. It's like,
for instance, you comb your hair, hair follicles, cast it away, right,
you find it there, you grow a new one in place.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Birds kind of do the same thing.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
They're shedding feathers throughout the year, depending on the species.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Some do it more than others.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
A warmer bird like a macaw, has a specific time
in the year to do it. Some raptors do it
spacing out the whole year because they need to hunt
to fly, and with penguins they need to swim, you guys.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
So they actually go through one very extreme molt.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Except for the Glopicgus galopicus penguin, the unique penguin it is, it.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Goes through too.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
But what these pingles need to do, they need to
eat a lot of food to build up these fat
reserves before they go to this molt. They're dropping all
these feathers. They're not eating really, they're on the shore
getting through this mold and then eventually they can grow
into these new feathers and then get back into the
ocean and do what they do best.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I mean, seventy percent of their life.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
A lot of these penguins are in the water, so
feathers are a key thing I think for penguins and
that aquatic lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
And to go on just a little further too, I
want our audience to know that, you know, feathers are
made of keratins, so it's a protein, right, So that's
a lot of energy for them to a get rid
of them all at once pretty much and then grow
in a whole body suit. And you just talked about
how many there are per square inch. That's a lot
of feathers to grow in a short amount of time exactly,
So they really do have to bulk up for that molt.
And if you come to the zoo you can actually
(11:36):
see our African penguins.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Go through a molt as well. They look real scruppy
when they're losing those feathers. They're like, oh, that one
doesn't look okay, and.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
They just gonna sit there and they're just gonna poudy
because they can't go in the water. But it's a
natural part of what their body goes through every year,
whether it's the zoo or out in the wild.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Totally, man, I thought that was an awesome penguin factor.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Yeah right, the feathers. All about the feathers.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
The feathers are a cool ad uptate, thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
And speaking of the cool adaptations of penguins, this is
an adaptation I read about a long time ago about
geese which would swim in cold water during the winter. Okay,
and then later when we got penguins here at the zoo. Yes,
I've been here long enough that we didn't have penguins here.
When I first started, I was reading that penguins have
this adaptation as well, and it's one that I wish
I had in the winter. I know, I know San
(12:22):
Diego does not get that cold in the winter, but
for those of us that are used to the warm
weather here, when it does get cold.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I have to put on socks and slippers.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Well, many penguin species, of course, as we talked about,
do live in very cold water, and some even spend
large amounts of time on ice.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
So keep in mind they're standing barefoot on ice with
no boots on or socks are slippers. So how does
it work? How come their feet don't freeze? So get this.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Penguins, along with other birds that swim in cold waters,
have the ability to regulate or control the blood flow
to their feet. This allows them to use their body
heat to warm up the blood that go to their feet.
It is essentially, for lack of a better comparison, it
works like a built in heat radiator for their feet.
But that then led me to wonder, why doesn't the
(13:10):
colder blood that's going back into the body, cool the
penguin down.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And that's because they have special vessels that.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Reduce the overall heat loss, so it's not even an
issue at all.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
It's really amazing, like a central air conditioning system right
with the heat option as.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Well, right exactly exactly, so it goes right into all
these different little adaptations. Different species of penguins have to
specialize and live in the environments and the extremes some
of them do live in to survive and reproduce and
keep living.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
I love those, not only like those physical adaptations, but
behavior adaptationcy right that many birds ce you to try
to survive in either hot or really cold climates. Right
all right, now, I'm really excited about this next one
friend that I wanted to talk about.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Okay, it's all about the beak. Oh yes, oh man,
I love bird beaks. And this is the conversation. I'll
try to come down. But as I'm.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Talking, I'm seeing a redtail just flew by, the little
finches cruising around. And the one thing I always tell
guests that I love to do with kids a fun game.
You guys, next time you visit the San Diego Zoo
or the Safari park is guess what the bird does
by the size and the shape of the beak.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, that's a really cool game. I mean you can
learn a lot.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Think about a duck versus a hummingbird versus a cast.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Really good or a full mingo.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
I mean, as Rick was saying with the feather, this
is also made of keratin as well. So again not
if you're driving, but kids, look at your fingernails and
touch your hair right now, and if you're gonna touch
your sister, brothers or after first, But it's home made
up of the same thing, you, guys, It's really cool.
And with a penguin, think about it. What are they doing?
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Right? What are they eating?
Speaker 4 (14:45):
You guys, I'm sure you said fish right, Maybe even
krill as another example, now, maybe even crustacean. So depending
on the shape of the beak of a penguin, it
can vary a little bit. Now, as I was mentioning,
every bird's beak is designed to do and penguins have
a variation depending on the.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Type of prey that they eat.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
So I mentioned fish, squid, crustaceans could be an option.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Now, generally for a penguin, the beak or the bill.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Tends to be long and thin in some species that
are primarily the fish heaters, which makes a lot of sense, right,
and they're shorter and stouter in those that are mainly
eating quill I think, like a shrimp like organism as well.
And what's also really cool now, there's some fun photos
on the San Diego Zoo website. You can see a
picture of this the mouth of the penguin. It's aligned
(15:30):
with these horny, rear directed spines and this aids them
swallowing that slippery prey so jump out of their mouth
and then trying to eat, which.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think is really cool as well.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
With also a little hook at the end of that
beak that is like friend, the perfect leatherman for a
fish line, right, I mean, don't you think?
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Well, absolutely, and I think you bring up a good point.
The beak has certain structures to it. Everything about the
penguin beak has a reason. So if you do go
to our website and check out those pictures, you also
see there's certain grooves in there. And I was reading
not too long ago, the grooves in the penguin's beak
help them use their beak. Then when they're swimming at
high speeds, sort of as a front end rudder, so
they can utilize that to help with their directional steering,
(16:08):
I guess because they're so fast and agile in the
water as they chase these fish and then it turns around.
And also, like you said, it's a perfect leathermen or
tool for them to grab onto their prey and not
lose it. Well, I think we would be remiss, honestly, Marco,
if we did not also mention something that's very important
and near and dear to our hearts, which is the
conservation side of penguins. No One thing we talk about
(16:28):
here a lot at the San Diego Zoo because we're
a part of it, is the African penguin conservation And
how zoos not just the San Diego Zoo, but zoos
across the nation, across the world, really have worked very
hard in conjunction with an organization called sand Cob. Sandcobb
stands for a South African Foundation for the Conservation.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Of Coastal Birds.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
They do a lot of work for coastal birds there
in South Africa, including the African penguin.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So just a fun little background's kind of funny.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
The fun fact I shared earlier was how penguins can
stand on that cold ice for long periods of time
and their body can regulate.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
The temperature with no problem.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
African penguins have a different problem because they will build
their nests on the beaches. They have to protect them
from the heat. They have to protect the eggs from
the heat or the cold of the night. So they
build little dugouts in guano or basically built up bird poop,
and these act like a little Adobe huts for them,
protecting the eggs, protecting them from the direct sun as well,
and it keeps it at a perfect temperature. Unfortunately, guano
(17:22):
has been harvested for many years for fertilizer, leaving these
birds without opportunities to make their nests. So the San
Diego Zoo, along the zoos across the nation, under sand
Cobs direction, started testing different types of prototypes of man
made nest shelters and essentially they deploy these across all
these different zoos that have African penguins and let the
penguins show us which ones they preferred, which ones worked
(17:44):
best for them. Instead of us saying, oh, this is
the best design here, penguin use this, we let them
show us out of the many different designs that we
all came up with what works best, and then.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
The top few that seem to work best, they deployed
those onto the.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Beaches there in Africa and let those penguins then say
these are the best ones to use. And it really
has made a difference sce opportunity for these penguins to
utilize their native nesting space even though the guano's not available,
and therefore bring that population into a sustainable or at
least somewhat balanced area in very trying times for the species.
It's been really cool to be a part of that
(18:16):
to see how it works. Visit the Sankab website and
our staff go out there all the time once a
year is sometimes more, to work with them and be
a part of all those efforts to make sure those
penguins have a future.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Friend the connectivity for one of the idea like communities
working together and the word listen. They're listening to the
penguins right They're deciding on their own. There's a term
we use here at the Zoo and Safari Park called
choice to control with our wildlife that they have the
ownership of their environment.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
They decide what works what doesn't work.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
I absolutely love it, and I just actually got back
from a Mexican aza. It's called the Sisuona Quadios Loicos
a Mexico. It's a mouthful, I know, but there was
a crew that I wanted to point out in the Guadalajatazoo.
If they're listening, shout out to all the work that
you guys are doing with penguin species. It's a community,
and this is what this is about, because, as we
talked about in the beginning of this episode, oceans are
(19:06):
so important folks. We call it a blue planet for
a reason, and oceans are connected to us all. So
shout out to all those people, especially in South Africa,
our friends out there doing all that amazing work.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yeah, I love it. I love it. I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Marco, you know I hear I'm talking about South Africa
and Sankab. You're talking about your friends in Guadalajara and
the people you met when you were there in Mexico.
It is one of those things where it's so important
for people to understand that the conservation for penguins is
not just us. It's not just one location. It is
a global effort. There's a lot going on, and I
really think it's cool that everyone is coming together to
work for these wonderful birds.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Oh friend, I absolutely love it.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
And I think wrapping up our penguin episode on African
penguin conservation is bedfect though.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Well, I completely agree, But I do want to say
as we start to wrap those up before we go,
I want to take a moment to remind everyone listening
that you don't have to work for a conservation organization
like the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alion to participate in conservation,
or any of the other places that we mentioned.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Oh yeah, that's absolutely right, Rick, I mean, anyone can
help penguins or any other species out there right from
their own home. You can do a beach clean up
to help true the ocean's healthy right as an example,
or even a park cleanup to help prevent traction litter
from getting into streams and eventually flowing into the oceans.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yeah, so even if you don't live near the ocean,
you can still participate in helping because yes, creeks flow
into rivers, flow into the ocean, and it's all connected.
And another big one people can do is fundraising. Anyone
can help raise money for conservation and donate it to
organizations that are out there doing the work. As our
listeners probably already know from us covering our conservation hubs.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
As a nonprofit conservation.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Organization, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Aliance does important work
for wildlife all over the world.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Man, it really is an awesome organization to be part of.
A gouty to say it makes me proud. And speaking
of conservation hubs, amigo, I think we should head.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Up to our reptile department for our next episode. What
do you think?
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Ooh, let's see reptiles here at the zoo. They live
just about everywhere. Give me a hint what you're thinking about.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Well, there are local species, for one, and they've had
a lot of challenges. We have some here at the
zoo as a hint, but we're also planning on sending
some back to their native habitat. Oo.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Let's see, Well, if they're local, that means we're coming
back to the Southwest Hub.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
They are under the care of our reptile team.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And we have some but planning to send them back
to the native habitat.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
One more hint, all right, one word? Pond?
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Pond? Oh, pond oh, I know now, all right?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Everyone, be sure to subscribe and tune into our next episode,
in which Mark and I dive into a pond instead
of the ocean to find out more about the amazing
and sometimes overlooked pond turtle.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Al Marco Lent and I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
For more information about the San Diego Zoo and San
Diego Zoo Safari Part go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing
Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studios. Our supervising
producer is Nikiah Swinton, and our sound designer and editor
is Sierra Spreen. For more shows from iHeartRadio, check out
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
(22:18):
your favorite shows.
Hi, I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
What is the s world? Am Marco went Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
To Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife
from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts. This
podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studios and San
Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization which
oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Bark.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Hey, Rick, so do you remember back in the summer
when we did that episode about nocturnal wildlife? Ah?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yes, good old episode six.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
That was kind of a special episode we did to
kick off the Night Times Zo celebration.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Right, that's around an ego, and you gotta say, some
pretty good feedback from people. You know, everyone enjoyed the
way we traded fun facts back and forth, and especially
because it was about nocturnal wildlife.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, that's true. That's true.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And if I remember correctly, we had a lot of
fun recording that episode two.
Speaker 5 (00:55):
Yeah, So are you thinking what I'm thinking that even
though bent Trong's aren't pangus, we should still talk about them.
Uh No, okay, So probably the other thing about the episode, right,
we should do another episode like before where we trade
fun facts back and forth, but this time all about penguins.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, man, exactly right. I love it.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I love it, and especially since we just talked about
the polar opposite of the penguin last episode. Huh, polar bears, Marco.
Polar bears and penguins are polar opposites. They live on
opposite poles of the Earth. Oh man, sorry, not sorry,
my friend. It's one of the best ways for people
to remember that penguins and polar bears don't live together,
no matter what TV or movies might lead you to believe.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
All right, all right, I guess that's a very good point.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
And seeing as we are warm enough to talk about
some cool birds.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Really, you give me a groan for polar opposites, but
you're gonna go with warming up and cooling down.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Huh, rick, I mean we are talking about birds here, man.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I am in the zone. Anything could happen, that's true.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Well, anyway, seeing as we were warm enough to talk
about some it's pretty cool birds. I wanted to make
sure everyone listening knows that not all penguins are found
on the South Pole, or maybe it's better said this way.
Many species of penguin do spend their time on or
around Antarctica, but there are also a lot of them
that don't.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Excellent point Marco.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
In fact, if you come to visit the penguins at
the San Diego Zoo, you will see the African penguin,
native to the southern coast of Africa, along Namibia and
South Africa.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Ooh, Rick, We're really getting to the facts now, aren't we.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yes, we are.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, wait one.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Second, though, let's waddle over to the viewing area where
we can see the beach. You like that, Yeah, so
you know, maybe our audience will able to hear some
penguin noises during this episode.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
All right, lead the way, my friend.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
All right, everyone, Buenosias.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Here we are early morning at the San Diego Zoo,
and the penguins are out and about and being here
at the beach viewing the penguin habitat, it really reminds
me that most people usually see the ocean from land,
from a boat or even flying over in a plane. Now, obviously,
penguins rely on this amazing aquatic habitat for life.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
But did you know this about our conservation hub.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
You know what we see of the ocean from the
shore from ships and even from the high tech underwater expeditions,
it's just a tiny slice of the world underneath the waves.
Oceans hold habitats that are themselves these underwater worlds. I mean,
think about swaying kelp forests right or sunlit coral reefs,
thick beds of sea grass, the darkness of the deep sea,
(03:32):
and so much more. I mean marine plants and vertebrates,
fish and of course birds and mammals all rely on
each other in this complex undersea web, and they're all
dependent on healthy oceans to thrive.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
You know, they really affect.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
A lot of communities, a lot of habitats around the world.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
They got to say, you bring up.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
A good point, Marko, because it's one of those things
where I think some people might have their favorite aquatic
animal or marine life that they see when they're at
the beach or at the zoo. Yeah, but you bring
up the point where it's huge ecosystem. It makes up
the majority of our planet when you look at percentages,
and not only is it its own huge ecosystem, but
then there are a lot of human communities and coastal
(04:10):
wildlife and coastal ecology there really relies on everything the
ocean doesn't offers.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Oh no, totally.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
And you know, when we think of all the hubs,
right that representing all around the world. In my opinion,
I'm sure you can agree, Rick, the ocean just is
probably the one that really affects all those hubs out there.
And there's so much diversity, right, there's that word again, guys, diversity. Yeah, right,
so many interesting animals, organisms, plant life underwater. So it's
really amazing that we get to talk about this hub
(04:37):
today here at the San Diego Zoo.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
It's a bright, beautiful day.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Oh and by the way, guys, if you haven't figured
it out yet, yeah, we're here.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
At the San Diego Zoo. Over here at Africa Rocks.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
We hear the waterfall cascade behind us right now, the
penguins are out and about I see turtle swimming.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's it's really a beautiful spot, right.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
It is it is.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
And I love the fact too that you're talking about
with the ocean and all the diversity.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
We do have African penguins.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Here at the San Diego Zoo and a lot of
times we think of penguins, we think of the Antarctic.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, I want to if you will Marco Entertainment.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Here, I'm going to dive into a few fun facts
about the different species of penguins.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Okay, okay, I like the word chowice dive.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
For example, Marco, you mentioned in the beginning of the
episode here that not all penguins live at the South
Pole or the Antarctic. So there are a total of
eighteen recognized species of penguins alive today, but out of
that eighteen, only two can truly call the Antarctic their
home and three other species. Three additional species use the
(05:39):
northern tip of Antarctica for the breeding season. So when
you do the mouth, that means there are thirteen species
of the eighteen species of penguin that are living somewhere.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Else in the world.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
That's crazy, right, And knowing that, then you might think
that they're all probably close to Antarctic, like the African
penguin friends that we have here at the San Diego
Zoo living in that southern portion of Africa.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And if you do think that, you aren't entirely wrong.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
There are some penguin species found in the southern coastal
areas of South America, Australia, the Falkland Islands, and New
Zealand and just to name a few of the many locations.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
But here's the fun one. There's always an exception to
the rule, Marco totally. They exception to the.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Rule when it comes to penguin species living in and
around or near or within proximity to Antarctica is our
good friend, the Galopagus penguin. They live on the Galopogus Islands,
and for anybody listening who doesn't know those islands strautle
the Equator, they're right off the coast of Ecuador, and
therefore they are the only species of penguin known as
(06:39):
the species that lives in the Northern Hemisphere or north
of the equator, nowhere near Antarctica, and technically if they're
in the northern Hemisphere, closer to.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
The Arctic the North Pole, but by quite a way.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I'm loving honestly, you know.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I gotta say it's a little embarrassing because I am
a bird guy, right, I'm saying that this whole season.
But we were just talking about it the other that
I actually never worked with penguins before.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I'm already learning a lot.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
By the way, excellent, so this is great for all
the listeners, you know, we're learning as you're learning, guys.
And when I think of penguins, my immediate thought goes like,
why do I love birds so much?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Right?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
There's such a fascinating organism. They've mastered the air, the skies,
of course land when I think of an emu or
a cassowary, and of course the oceans as well.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And the thing that I think about the most when
I think of birds are feathers.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
From right, Yeah, I mean it's a very iconic thing
when you think about a bird and all the nuances
of feathers, right, I mean, they're so diverse, right right.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And here's the thing, real quick, I have a feeling
I know what you're going with this, and I can't
wait to hear what you have to say about penguin feathers.
But I'm gonna interrupt real quick because I want to
make sure that our audience is following along and just
how diverse feathers.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Really are before we get into penguin feathers.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So, you have just on a regular flighted bird, right,
you have primary feathers on the wing to give them lift.
You have the tail feathers, you have contour feathers, you
have the downy feathers for installation, all.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
These different things.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
But then you look at something like different pheasant species
or even the peacock, and they have those huge plumage.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
It's just for decor, but also.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
For flirting with the ladies and everything else in you know,
trying to challenge others, right, But that's a feather structure
as well.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
And then we get to.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
The penguin friends, and they're flightless and they're pretty much
black and white. So Marco, what do you got for
us on feathers for the penguins?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
No?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I know, And honestly I tried to condense his friend
because there's so much to talk about just with feathers alone.
As Rick was talking about, you guys, I mean, just
close your eyes. But if you're driving, don't close your eyes.
Don't close Think a condor wing, right, Think how a
hummingbird flies.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Think about some of the adaptations Rick was just talking about.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
I mean, some of the reasons birds have feathers for
camouflage like an owl, for hunting like a falcon, or
staying warm or staying cool. Well, like you mentioned, attracting
a mate like a peacock. Right, But when it comes
to a penguin. These aren't birds that have decided, you
know what, flying maybe it's not for me, right, I mean,
you think about all these species one thing in common.
They're attached to this ocean hub, right, they were talking
(08:55):
about they have this deep rooty connection with the sea,
and at one point this she's needed to decide, you know,
am I gonna fly or am I gonna swim? And
when you think of all the birds in the world, penguins,
by far.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I think, are the best swimmers out there and divers.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
And when you think of those feathers, you guys, the
standard feather that we all think about in those filaments,
as Rick was saying, the primary feathers or those feathers
that we talk about that are on the flight the
wing for the bird species to take off and gain flight.
For penguins, they're different, so they're not designed for flight.
They're tightly compacted.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
So for instance, penguins have more feathers than any other
bird on the planet.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
It's literally about one hundred feathers per square inch I
fin of the one square imagine that.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
So it's funny because I never thought of that. But yeah,
I mean, you think of condors and they're huge, right,
so they must have all these feathers, right, But because
the feathers on penguins are so small and dense, oh wow, tightly.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Compacted, right, And if you think about an animal like
a sea otter or kind of the same idea, right,
tightly compacted hairs, and these shiny little feathers are uniformly
overlapping the penguin's skin. So penguin others, they're highly specialized.
The short they're broad, they're closely spaced, and as we said,
this helps keep water away from the skin.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Right.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
And of course those tufts are downy feathers. You can
call them the really white fluffy feathers. You know, those
are really made that insulation, right, So I think that's great.
And one other little thing about the feathers that wanted
to add. Everyone knows about a molt, or maybe for
not the middle of the molt. You know, it's like
it was just a low right, you know. It's like,
for instance, you comb your hair, hair follicles, cast it away, right,
you find it there, you grow a new one in place.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Birds kind of do the same thing.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
They're shedding feathers throughout the year, depending on the species.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Some do it more than others.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
A warmer bird like a macaw, has a specific time
in the year to do it. Some raptors do it
spacing out the whole year because they need to hunt
to fly, and with penguins they need to swim, you guys.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
So they actually go through one very extreme molt.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Except for the Glopicgus galopicus penguin, the unique penguin it is, it.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Goes through too.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
But what these pingles need to do, they need to
eat a lot of food to build up these fat
reserves before they go to this molt. They're dropping all
these feathers. They're not eating really, they're on the shore
getting through this mold and then eventually they can grow
into these new feathers and then get back into the
ocean and do what they do best.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I mean, seventy percent of their life.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
A lot of these penguins are in the water, so
feathers are a key thing I think for penguins and
that aquatic lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
And to go on just a little further too, I
want our audience to know that, you know, feathers are
made of keratins, so it's a protein, right, So that's
a lot of energy for them to a get rid
of them all at once pretty much and then grow
in a whole body suit. And you just talked about
how many there are per square inch. That's a lot
of feathers to grow in a short amount of time exactly,
So they really do have to bulk up for that molt.
And if you come to the zoo you can actually
(11:36):
see our African penguins.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Go through a molt as well. They look real scruppy
when they're losing those feathers. They're like, oh, that one
doesn't look okay, and.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
They just gonna sit there and they're just gonna poudy
because they can't go in the water. But it's a
natural part of what their body goes through every year,
whether it's the zoo or out in the wild.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Totally, man, I thought that was an awesome penguin factor.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Yeah right, the feathers. All about the feathers.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
The feathers are a cool ad uptate, thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
And speaking of the cool adaptations of penguins, this is
an adaptation I read about a long time ago about
geese which would swim in cold water during the winter. Okay,
and then later when we got penguins here at the zoo. Yes,
I've been here long enough that we didn't have penguins here.
When I first started, I was reading that penguins have
this adaptation as well, and it's one that I wish
I had in the winter. I know, I know San
(12:22):
Diego does not get that cold in the winter, but
for those of us that are used to the warm
weather here, when it does get cold.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I have to put on socks and slippers.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Well, many penguin species, of course, as we talked about,
do live in very cold water, and some even spend
large amounts of time on ice.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
So keep in mind they're standing barefoot on ice with
no boots on or socks are slippers. So how does
it work? How come their feet don't freeze? So get this.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Penguins, along with other birds that swim in cold waters,
have the ability to regulate or control the blood flow
to their feet. This allows them to use their body
heat to warm up the blood that go to their feet.
It is essentially, for lack of a better comparison, it
works like a built in heat radiator for their feet.
But that then led me to wonder, why doesn't the
(13:10):
colder blood that's going back into the body, cool the
penguin down.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And that's because they have special vessels that.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Reduce the overall heat loss, so it's not even an
issue at all.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
It's really amazing, like a central air conditioning system right
with the heat option as.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Well, right exactly exactly, so it goes right into all
these different little adaptations. Different species of penguins have to
specialize and live in the environments and the extremes some
of them do live in to survive and reproduce and
keep living.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
I love those, not only like those physical adaptations, but
behavior adaptationcy right that many birds ce you to try
to survive in either hot or really cold climates. Right
all right, now, I'm really excited about this next one
friend that I wanted to talk about.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Okay, it's all about the beak. Oh yes, oh man,
I love bird beaks. And this is the conversation. I'll
try to come down. But as I'm.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Talking, I'm seeing a redtail just flew by, the little
finches cruising around. And the one thing I always tell
guests that I love to do with kids a fun game.
You guys, next time you visit the San Diego Zoo
or the Safari park is guess what the bird does
by the size and the shape of the beak.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, that's a really cool game. I mean you can
learn a lot.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Think about a duck versus a hummingbird versus a cast.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Really good or a full mingo.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
I mean, as Rick was saying with the feather, this
is also made of keratin as well. So again not
if you're driving, but kids, look at your fingernails and
touch your hair right now, and if you're gonna touch
your sister, brothers or after first, But it's home made
up of the same thing, you, guys, It's really cool.
And with a penguin, think about it. What are they doing?
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Right? What are they eating?
Speaker 4 (14:45):
You guys, I'm sure you said fish right, Maybe even
krill as another example, now, maybe even crustacean. So depending
on the shape of the beak of a penguin, it
can vary a little bit. Now, as I was mentioning,
every bird's beak is designed to do and penguins have
a variation depending on the.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Type of prey that they eat.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
So I mentioned fish, squid, crustaceans could be an option.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Now, generally for a penguin, the beak or the bill.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Tends to be long and thin in some species that
are primarily the fish heaters, which makes a lot of sense, right,
and they're shorter and stouter in those that are mainly
eating quill I think, like a shrimp like organism as well.
And what's also really cool now, there's some fun photos
on the San Diego Zoo website. You can see a
picture of this the mouth of the penguin. It's aligned
(15:30):
with these horny, rear directed spines and this aids them
swallowing that slippery prey so jump out of their mouth
and then trying to eat, which.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think is really cool as well.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
With also a little hook at the end of that
beak that is like friend, the perfect leatherman for a
fish line, right, I mean, don't you think?
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Well, absolutely, and I think you bring up a good point.
The beak has certain structures to it. Everything about the
penguin beak has a reason. So if you do go
to our website and check out those pictures, you also
see there's certain grooves in there. And I was reading
not too long ago, the grooves in the penguin's beak
help them use their beak. Then when they're swimming at
high speeds, sort of as a front end rudder, so
they can utilize that to help with their directional steering,
(16:08):
I guess because they're so fast and agile in the
water as they chase these fish and then it turns around.
And also, like you said, it's a perfect leathermen or
tool for them to grab onto their prey and not
lose it. Well, I think we would be remiss, honestly, Marco,
if we did not also mention something that's very important
and near and dear to our hearts, which is the
conservation side of penguins. No One thing we talk about
(16:28):
here a lot at the San Diego Zoo because we're
a part of it, is the African penguin conservation And
how zoos not just the San Diego Zoo, but zoos
across the nation, across the world, really have worked very
hard in conjunction with an organization called sand Cob. Sandcobb
stands for a South African Foundation for the Conservation.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Of Coastal Birds.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
They do a lot of work for coastal birds there
in South Africa, including the African penguin.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So just a fun little background's kind of funny.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
The fun fact I shared earlier was how penguins can
stand on that cold ice for long periods of time
and their body can regulate.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
The temperature with no problem.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
African penguins have a different problem because they will build
their nests on the beaches. They have to protect them
from the heat. They have to protect the eggs from
the heat or the cold of the night. So they
build little dugouts in guano or basically built up bird poop,
and these act like a little Adobe huts for them,
protecting the eggs, protecting them from the direct sun as well,
and it keeps it at a perfect temperature. Unfortunately, guano
(17:22):
has been harvested for many years for fertilizer, leaving these
birds without opportunities to make their nests. So the San
Diego Zoo, along the zoos across the nation, under sand
Cobs direction, started testing different types of prototypes of man
made nest shelters and essentially they deploy these across all
these different zoos that have African penguins and let the
penguins show us which ones they preferred, which ones worked
(17:44):
best for them. Instead of us saying, oh, this is
the best design here, penguin use this, we let them
show us out of the many different designs that we
all came up with what works best, and then.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
The top few that seem to work best, they deployed
those onto the.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Beaches there in Africa and let those penguins then say
these are the best ones to use. And it really
has made a difference sce opportunity for these penguins to
utilize their native nesting space even though the guano's not available,
and therefore bring that population into a sustainable or at
least somewhat balanced area in very trying times for the species.
It's been really cool to be a part of that
(18:16):
to see how it works. Visit the Sankab website and
our staff go out there all the time once a
year is sometimes more, to work with them and be
a part of all those efforts to make sure those
penguins have a future.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Friend the connectivity for one of the idea like communities
working together and the word listen. They're listening to the
penguins right They're deciding on their own. There's a term
we use here at the Zoo and Safari Park called
choice to control with our wildlife that they have the
ownership of their environment.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
They decide what works what doesn't work.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
I absolutely love it, and I just actually got back
from a Mexican aza. It's called the Sisuona Quadios Loicos
a Mexico. It's a mouthful, I know, but there was
a crew that I wanted to point out in the Guadalajatazoo.
If they're listening, shout out to all the work that
you guys are doing with penguin species. It's a community,
and this is what this is about, because, as we
talked about in the beginning of this episode, oceans are
(19:06):
so important folks. We call it a blue planet for
a reason, and oceans are connected to us all. So
shout out to all those people, especially in South Africa,
our friends out there doing all that amazing work.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yeah, I love it. I love it. I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Marco, you know I hear I'm talking about South Africa
and Sankab. You're talking about your friends in Guadalajara and
the people you met when you were there in Mexico.
It is one of those things where it's so important
for people to understand that the conservation for penguins is
not just us. It's not just one location. It is
a global effort. There's a lot going on, and I
really think it's cool that everyone is coming together to
work for these wonderful birds.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Oh friend, I absolutely love it.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
And I think wrapping up our penguin episode on African
penguin conservation is bedfect though.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Well, I completely agree, But I do want to say
as we start to wrap those up before we go,
I want to take a moment to remind everyone listening
that you don't have to work for a conservation organization
like the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alion to participate in conservation,
or any of the other places that we mentioned.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Oh yeah, that's absolutely right, Rick, I mean, anyone can
help penguins or any other species out there right from
their own home. You can do a beach clean up
to help true the ocean's healthy right as an example,
or even a park cleanup to help prevent traction litter
from getting into streams and eventually flowing into the oceans.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yeah, so even if you don't live near the ocean,
you can still participate in helping because yes, creeks flow
into rivers, flow into the ocean, and it's all connected.
And another big one people can do is fundraising. Anyone
can help raise money for conservation and donate it to
organizations that are out there doing the work. As our
listeners probably already know from us covering our conservation hubs.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
As a nonprofit conservation.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Organization, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Aliance does important work
for wildlife all over the world.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Man, it really is an awesome organization to be part of.
A gouty to say it makes me proud. And speaking
of conservation hubs, amigo, I think we should head.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Up to our reptile department for our next episode. What
do you think?
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Ooh, let's see reptiles here at the zoo. They live
just about everywhere. Give me a hint what you're thinking about.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Well, there are local species, for one, and they've had
a lot of challenges. We have some here at the
zoo as a hint, but we're also planning on sending
some back to their native habitat. Oo.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Let's see, Well, if they're local, that means we're coming
back to the Southwest Hub.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
They are under the care of our reptile team.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And we have some but planning to send them back
to the native habitat.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
One more hint, all right, one word? Pond?
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Pond? Oh, pond oh, I know now, all right?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Everyone, be sure to subscribe and tune into our next episode,
in which Mark and I dive into a pond instead
of the ocean to find out more about the amazing
and sometimes overlooked pond turtle.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Al Marco Lent and I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
For more information about the San Diego Zoo and San
Diego Zoo Safari Part go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing
Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studios. Our supervising
producer is Nikiah Swinton, and our sound designer and editor
is Sierra Spreen. For more shows from iHeartRadio, check out
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
(22:18):
your favorite shows.
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