Ten endangered male African penguins made their debut today at Penguin Point, the latest attraction at Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck.

“These guys are actually very endangered,” said Brent Lubbock, director of the park. “Because they’re African, they’re a species that can do well here at Sylvan Heights. We do have a whole water filtration system that was put in to help take care of them. The really cool thing about these is when people come out they’ll be able to see them swimming underneath the water.”

He said the penguins, which came from the Maryland Zoo, have adjusted well. “They’re very happy and they’re doing well together.”

While there are educational, conservation, and research considerations that brought them to Scotland Neck, there is another factor, he said. “It’s one of the birds that a lot of people have been talking about — that they would love to see. People thought penguins would never happen here at Sylvan Heights, but a lot of people don’t realize African penguins are in the situation they’re in.”

Penguins were a project that the park had been working on for about 10 years or more. “It was all about funding, and a lot of great people like Grady-White Boats and their foundation helped put money towards it. It was also all that individual funding, even from young people, that raised money. This is a project I think is based on everyone’s love of penguins and wanting to see it. It’s also for us to put them in a place where people can really learn about the African penguins and what’s going on.”

African penguins are typically found along the beaches of southern Africa, he said. “Some people have seen them in the wild, but you never get to see them swimming underwater, so that’s an experience that you’ll see here.”

While there are no females at the exhibit, Lubbock said African penguins would work together to raise their young.

Tammy Stanton is one of the lead aviculturists at the park and also serves as one of the lead penguin keepers.

The birds arrived at the park around mid-August and spent time in quarantine. “About two weeks ago we got them out there for their first trip into the habitat and they immediately dove into the water and were loving the water.”

She said they particularly love the deepest part of the pool where guests can view them below the surface. “They love chasing fingers and interacting with children — through the glass, of course.”

The penguins range in age from 10 years to one that is under a year old. “We have two little young ones there. They don’t fully have their black and white coloring.”

There are 18 different species of penguins and more than half of them live closer to the equator. African penguins are typically found around Boulders Beach in Cape Town, making them well-suited for North Carolina weather. “We foresee them doing really well in this temperature here.”

Stanton said the penguins will be ambassadors for their species in the wild, helping children learn about them and how they can help protect wild populations.

During a program before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mark Frostrom of Shore Outdoor Living, who with his crew built the habitat, said, “I have always had a passion for animals. I grew up on a farm with more domesticated stuff and that eventually led me to an interest in exotic animals.”

Penguin Point became the third project at the park he had a hand in. “This one’s a little more extensive. When we sat down and talked about the exhibit it was a 2-D, flat drawn line on a piece of paper. I stared at it and thought, ‘Man, we’re really going to go after this thing. We’re really going to make it exceptional.’ We didn’t just build an enclosure. We built an environment.”

In a time when zoos and cages get a bad rap, he said, “Exhibits like this are going to be absolutely necessary for people to accept the fact that we need these African penguins for people to be able to experience them. These are critically endangered birds. That means they’re one step from the end.”

Cody Collins, owner of Shore Outdoor Living, said, “We’re super grateful for the opportunity to come down here because the guys we have are that good. We’ve been fortunate to be able to do a lot of high-end luxury outdoor living projects back home. This is my first rodeo with this.”

Dustin Foote, director of aviculture, said, “I think it’s really fitting that this is our 20th year. This exhibit is our next step at Sylvan Heights. I think it’s going to bring a lot more people here.”