BOSTON (WHDH) - When the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) put out a call for help caring for African penguin eggs and newly hatched chicks, New England Aquarium penguin trainer Diana Major was among the many who answered.
As part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) SAFE program for African penguins, the Aquarium participates in an international effort to protect wild African penguin populations — and collaborating with SANCCOB is part of that important conservation work.
Major was the third Aquarium staff member to travel to SANCCOB in recent years, though she was the first to lend her expertise caring for egg and chicks at SANCCOB’s new nursery facility.
“I have a lot of experience working with penguins in ten different species,” she told the aquarium. “A lot of that has been incubation and hand-rearing, so it was kind of a perfect fit.”
Since January 1 of 2026, SANCCOB has taken in little over 500 eggs, which come to their nursery from nests that are deemed abandoned or if a nesting adult needs rescue and is unable to care for their chick.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)