PITTSBURGH — The National Aviary’s youngest African Penguins have officially joined the colony.
The chicks, who hatched back in February, also just got their names, thanks to two Aviary “flock” members.
The male chick is now known as Oswald Cobblepot, taking inspiration from “Batman Returns.” The female chick is called Nora, named after an Aviary employee’s daughter to “commemorate the beginnings of a new family chapter.”
Oswald and Nora are the 11th and 12th offspring from parents Bette and Sidney. They’ve been behind the scenes until the duo’s juvenile waterproof feathers came in, and now they’re ready to plunge into Penguin Point.
Aviary staffers say they took a unique approach in getting Oswald and Nora ready to be introduced into the colony.
“In addition to having them interact with their penguin parents, we created an opportunity for the young siblings to slowly acclimate to being in social settings as potential future Animal Ambassadors, while also educating thousands of guests during exclusive Chick Talks this past Spring,” said Chris Gaus, assistant manager of animal care. “After witnessing their comfort levels around others and confirming that they could successfully feed on their own, we knew they were ready to make their official public debut with the colony.”