At Adventure World, a king penguin chick was born on Saturday, July 11, 2026. The chick, which hatched with a lively cry, is currently undergoing initial hand-rearing by animal educators and will be on display starting today, Monday, July 13, on the first floor of Penguin Base.
　Adventure World is home to approximately 100 Emperor Penguins, the largest population among zoos in Japan. However, it has been pointed out that these penguins may eventually disappear from captivity. To ensure the species’ survival into the future, the park is committed to both natural and artificial breeding from a long-term perspective.
　Newborn chicks are extremely fragile. To prevent accidents where they might be crushed at their parents’ feet and to improve survival rates, animal educators act as surrogate parents, providing initial artificial rearing until the chicks grow to about 300 grams. They support the chicks’ growth by closely monitoring changes in weight, appetite, and overall health, playing a vital role in ensuring the continuation of the species.
　Currently, three fertilized eggs are being incubated, and the birth of new life is anticipated in the near future. Among the penguins living at the park, the Emperor Penguin chicks are the only ones born without feathers. Please come see these precious and adorable little ones!

[Regarding the Public Debut of the King Penguin Chicks]
■Start Date: Monday, July 13, 2026
■Hours: Park opening to 5:00 p.m.
■Location: 1st Floor of Penguin Base
*Since Penguin Base is a non-public facility, visitors may only enter the 1st-floor area.
*Please note that the exhibition may be changed or canceled depending on the animals’ health and other factors.

[About the Newly Born Emperor Penguin Chick]
■Hatching Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026
■Birth Weight: 230.8 g
■Gender: Unknown *We plan to determine the chick’s sex via DNA testing in about one year.
■Parent Information: Father: Born January 20, 2002, at Adventure World (24 years old)
Mother: Born January 31, 2020, at Adventure World (6 years old)

[From Animal Educator]
Miho Omori, Penguin Keeper
Background: I studied water and aquatic animals in college. After joining the company, I worked as a video producer for “Marine Live” and as a performer for attractions; I am currently involved in penguin care.
Special Skill: I can instantly tell the difference between male and female “shishamo” (smelt) , which are used as penguin food .
Comment:
　During egg monitoring, there were times when I worried whether development was progressing, but now that they’ve started pecking at the shells, I’m relieved to see them hatching vigorously on their own. From here on, we’ll raise them using the “early artificial rearing” method, where staff care for the chicks until they’re strong enough to withstand their parents’ weight before entrusting them to their parents. We expect about three more chicks to hatch this summer. We’ll continue to take on challenges such as breeding and artificial insemination to ensure the survival of the Emperor Penguins for future generations.Please join us in warmly watching over the growth of these adorable penguins, starting from their smooth, nearly featherless state!

[About Early Artificial Rearing of Emperor Penguins]
At Adventure World, we practice “early artificial rearing” to prevent eggs and chicks from being crushed by the parents’ weight and to improve survival rates. We take the eggs from the parent birds and hatch them in an incubator, then hand-rear the chicks until they reach a stable weight of about 300g before returning them to their parents. While the eggs are in our care, we have the parent birds incubate a dummy egg (a fake egg made of plaster) and then swap it out for the chick once it has gained enough strength.

[About the King Penguin]
■Classification: Order Sphenisciformes, Family Spheniscidae
■Scientific Name: Aptenodytes patagonicus
■English Name: King Penguin
■Habitat: Sub-Antarctic regions such as the Falkland Islands and South Georgia
■Diet: At Adventure World, they mainly eat pollock and shishamo
■Reproduction: They lay one egg per breeding season, place it on their feet, cover it with a patch of skin on their abdomen (incubation pouch), and the male and female take turns incubating it for 52 to 56 days.
■Lifespan: 20–30 years
■Body Length: 85–95 cm
■Weight: Approx. 15 kg
■Characteristics: The second-largest penguin in the world, characterized by the vivid colors on its head and chest. It was named the “King” Penguin because it was considered the largest penguin until the discovery of the Emperor Penguin.