Investigating the Breeding Success of Captive African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) at Langkawi Island, Peninsular Malaysia

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), formerly known as the Black-footed penguin or as the
Jackass penguin, is found on the south-western coast of Africa. The main goals of this study are to
evaluate the hatching success and survival rates among the species at Underwater World Langkawi,
Malaysia (UWL). It may be necessary for the penguins to remain in captivity to breed to increase their
numbers, especially the penguin in injury or suffering. The penguins seem very well adjusted in
captivity. Breeding success was assessed based on the number of eggs produced in a particular
season, and the productivity, hatchability, and survival rate of the chicks from 2006 to 2011. The
findings show that productivity decreased rapidly from 2006 to 2008, and then increased again to
reach maximum productivity in 2010. The active breeding begins in August and reaches its peak in
October. Then, the average length of the brooding period of the African penguin is 38 days. There
was a high percentage of non-hatched compared to hatched eggs. The highest percentage of chick
survival occurred in 2011 (83.33%), with five out of six chicks surviving. However, during 2010, there
was a high rate of mortality percentage (66.67%), with four out of six chicks dying. Overall, got 16
chicks died, while 27 chicks survived at UWL during the study. Then, the entire juvenile was fledged.
Furthermore, the African penguin was breeding throughout the year. However, some problems were
detected in UWL, which caused many eggs not to hatch; these problems included infertile and
cracked eggs and disturbed nests. Finally, further research should be conducted to understand the
effect of enclosed environments on penguins’ breeding success.