Four Rockhopper penguins recently settled into their new homes at Dalian Laohutan Pole Aquarium in Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.
Rockhopper penguins differ from other penguins due to distinctive features such as golden feathers above their eyes and near the ear area, as if they were sporting charming hair decorations.
The specie enjoys bouncing on rocks and can even jump off rocks from a height of 10 meters and land safely and intact.
When the new "race" entered the penguin pool, the current inhabitants, including King and Black-foot penguins, crowded around to harass them, and some even provoked a fight.
As a result, the newcomers were frightened, crying out and ruffling their feathers in an effort to intimidate the bullies.
Soon afterward, however, they reconciled and began roaming calmly with their fellow penguins in their new 150 square meter-home, according to 21-year-old Anna, an aquarium employee, who fed the penguins shrimp, fish and cuttle fish.
The local pole aquarium now boasts the largest number and largest variety of species of penguins in China, with a total of 80 penguins in five species, including King penguins, Gentoo penguins, Peruvian penguins, Black-foot penguins and Rockhopper penguins.
They are mainly purchased from African countries, Japan and Peru.
Each Rockhopper penguin cost the aquarium US$35,000, while the other species cost a little less.
(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2002)
