Auckland's newest, and coolest, day-care centre has opened at Kelly Tarlton's. This crche isn't a time-out spot for younger visitors - it has been created especially for this seasons Gentoo penguin chicks and is designed to replicate the way they are raised in the wild. 10 Gentoo chicks have recently hatched at Kelly Tarlton's. Some of the eldest are hitting the age where they start getting into trouble, so the crche has been set up to keep them safe and stimulated - and to give mum and dad a well-deserved break! "In the wild, adult Gentoo need to leave their young in these kinds of crches and head back to the ocean for long periods of time to feed. In the crche the chicks learn many of the techniques for self-sufficiency they need to survive. Although the penguins at Kelly Tarlton's don't have the same fight for life as their sub-Antarctic counterparts we believe it's important to replicate their natural environment and experience as closely as possible," says Kelly Tarlton's Aviculturalist Laura Seaman. Placing the chicks in the communal crche when they are about 30 days old keeps them out of harms way and teaches them important socialisation skills. Laura says because they are naturally inquisitive and adventurous birds, Gentoo chicks left in their parents' nests are likely to wander off and get into trouble. "At this age they don't know how to swim and aren't waterproof, so falling into the pool becomes a life-threatening accident. Out on the ice the King penguins are getting amorous and with their one-track minds could inadvertently trample and injure a young chick - or give it a bad nip in an effort to get some privacy!" Another important reason for crching is to give the parents the opportunity to stop feeding the chicks and start taking care of themselves again. Parent penguins tend to be quite selfless when raising their young - who take a lot of energy to feed - and they need time to put weight back on before the moulting season begins in January. Kelly Tarlton's is the only place in New Zealand with a Gentoo Penguin breeding programme. The birds are listed as "near threatened" on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List, with an estimated 300,000 breeding pairs remaining in the wild in sub-Antarctic islands such as the Falklands, South Georgia and Kerguelen islands as well as on the Antarctic Peninsular itself. This season's chicks hatched from eggs incubated by their parents (both sexes take turns caring for the eggs and the young) for around 35 days. It takes a baby Gentoo up to 48 hours to emerge from his shell and the first couple of days are spent hidden beneath mum or dad, surviving off nutrients from the hatched egg. After that though they need to venture out to feed and visitors can often see these very young penguins peeping out and asking for a meal. "Visitors will have a great view of the crche from the Snowcat ride and viewing windows but some lucky folk will also get to see the very small chicks. Their parents feed them a diet of partially digested and regurgitated herrings that looks like a fishy gruel - not very appetising to us but a real winner for the chicks who have huge appetites and are therefore regularly popping out from under their parent's protection to ask for more." As the new hatchlings grow they are transferred to the creche where they will stay until they are adult sized, fledged, swimming and ready to join the main colony. Once fully grown the Gentoo chicks will take their place as the third largest of all 17 species of penguins (only behind the Emperor and King penguins). Kelly Tarlton's is home to approximately 80 adult Gentoo and King penguins. "We're really excited to be welcoming so many new friends to Kelly Tarlton's. We have had a successful breeding programme in place for the past ten years and it's always an exciting time when the chicks start emerging from their nests and joining the crche," says Laura.