December 11th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

The largest population of African penguins in North America is getting bigger. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has hatched eight critically-endangered African penguins and, in an annual tradition, zookeepers have chosen a theme for the chicks’ names. This year the birds are being named after fruits and vegetables, and the first two names announced by the Zoo are Kiwi and Cayenne. The Maryland Zoo maintains the largest colony of African penguins in North America.