In December, while the world was falling to pieces in anticipation of the great burning we know today, something perfect and noble and sweet did in fact happen: Two pairs of African penguin chicks were quietly hatched at Camden's Adventure Aquarium. According to the Aquarium, "The first clutch hatched on December 10 and 14, respectively, to African penguin parents Minnie and Kamikaze. The second clutch arrived later in the month to parents Jack and Diane [Editor's note: No you didn't.] on December 23 and 26, respectively." If that sounds like a lot of African Penguin procreation, baby, it's all part of a plan. Camden is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA’s) African penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP), and since 1998, they've successfully bred and raised 26 of these adorable but probably a little smelly creatures. All four African penguin chicks will make their official debut, we're told, during a media event to be held next Tuesday, where the world will also learn the names given to them by the Aquarium’s Bird and Mammal team members. 

All photos courtesy Adventure Aquarium.