'Cusco' winning name in aquarium's penguin naming effort
Sep. 12—The public has spoken and the Aquarium of Niagara's 23rd successfully reared Humboldt penguin chick will be named Cusco.
The name, pronounced "kooz-koh," references a city in southwestern Peru and is a nod to the penguin species' native environment, which spans the western coast of South America through Peru and parts of Chile. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cusco was one of three names selected for public vote by the aquarium's zoological team, along with Gus and Boldt. The three finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 50 names submitted during a short fundraising campaign that invited supporters to suggest a name for consideration with a $23 donation to the Aquarium's penguin colony.
The aquarium received more than 1,600 votes during the six-day voting period. Gus was the early frontrunner, but a late surge in votes for Cusco propelled the name to the top, and it won with 56-percent of the vote. Gus received 30-percent of the vote, and Boldt received 13-percent.
Cusco hatched at the aquarium this past April along with another male chick who has been named P.T. by a generous donor who made a substantial gift toward the 2018 renovation of the aquarium's penguin habitat.
Their parents, PJ, Jr. and Blanca, came to the aquarium in 2019 from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle as part of Association of Zoos and Aquarium's (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Humboldt penguins, which are designated as vulnerable to extinction on the ICUN's Red List of Threatened Species. Through the SSP, the aquarium works with other AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to match genetically strong penguins and ensure a thriving, sustainable penguin population under human care.
The newly named penguin is currently on exhibit at Penguin Coast and can be identified by the pink band on his right wing.
