Maryland Zoo’s curator of birds helping revival of African penguin species

By Jennifer Franciotti

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — The African penguins at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore are in danger of going extinct in the wild, which is one reason why the breeding program is so important.

Jen Kottyan, the curator of birds at the Maryland Zoo, is in charge of the zoo’s breeding program and is organizing an effort to save penguins across the country.

The Maryland Zoo’s “Penguin Coast” is modeled after a South African fishing village, and it’s celebrating its 10-year anniversary this spring.

“We have the nest boxes out here to show what we’re doing to help save the population out in the wild,” Kottyan said.

But she also has a new title.

“Yes, Plenty of Fish or Tinder is my (new) title for the penguins,” Kottyan said.

She’s basically the matchmaker of penguins across the country and was recently elected the program leader for the African Penguin Survival Plan. She heads the breeding program here in Baltimore and is now at 51 accredited zoos.

“Basically, they genetically match up male and female penguins and tell you who can breed with who and how many chicks they can have to keep the population healthy and genetically diverse so there’s no inbreeding,” Kottyan said.

The goal is to increase the population to eventually be able to help efforts in South Africa, where the species is threatened by habitat loss, overfishing and oil spills.

“If we can solve the issues they face in the wild, we could take the eggs and send them out to Africa for them to rear up and release,” Kottyan said.

In the last 10 years, the population here has grown from 65 to 120, including five new penguin chicks. They all have Maryland-themed names, including the latest to be revealed, “Crabcake.”

For those looking to help the program, it easy as going to the zoo. Admission costs help support the zoo’s many conservations programs.

“I can say with absolute certainty, these guys might be extinct in the next 10 years in the wild, if we don’t fix the issues that they are facing,” Kottyan said.

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