BOSTON (WWLP) - Four African Penguin chicks have hatched at the New England Aquarium and are currently being cared for before being introduced to the colony. Local fisherman catches prehistoric fish in Connecticut River All four hatched within one month of each other; the first female hatched on March 21 followed by the first male on March 27, then another male hatched on April 8 and another female hatched on April 18. The first two, Malgas II and Demersus III, come from the same mother, Malgas. Malgas is an experienced mother who has now raised a total of six chicks. As soon as she saw the recent chicks hatching, she helped pull away the shell to immediately begin caring for them. In the wild, it is rare for an African Penguin to care for two chicks. “In the wild, one of those chicks may not survive because of competition for the resources of its parents. But Malgas was clearly ready for this challenge, and both chicks are thriving,” said Eric Fox, assistant curator of penguins. Credit: New England AquariumCredit: New England AquariumCredit: New England AquariumCredit: New England AquariumCredit: New England AquariumCredit: New England AquariumCredit: New England AquariumCredit: New England Aquarium The chicks are only weeks apart from each other but you can tell a dramatic difference in their sizes. These penguins grow rapidly in the first months. The first chick is already the size of an adult penguin, 35 times the weight it hatched at. Their waterproof feathers are still coming in! Once they have those, they can begin learning to swim. All four chicks are slowly being introduced to the adults in the colony to help them get acclimated. Before joining the colony, they will all receive their official names. African Penguins are an endangered species. The only wild species left reside in South Africa and Namibia where they are threatened by a lack of food due to overfishing, climate change and pollution. The last time the New England Aquarium welcomed a group of chicks was in 2019 when three chicks joined the colony. Video provided courtesy of New England Aquarium. Local News DAV helps local Veterans connect with VA services Springfield Police Deputy Chief Rupert Daniel begins retirement Nearly 100 violations found in the White Street neighborhood of Springfield Five men from Agawam, Springfield facing drug charges in Vermont 22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts in March 1953. Watch the 22News digital edition on weekdays at 4 p.m.