LONDON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Valentine's Day is not just for humans, as a family of penguins discovered Wednesday at the National Sea Life Center in Birmingham.
With the new breeding season about to start, animal care experts at the center, with the help of nearby friends from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, rewarded two of the latest parents, Arabel and Pablo, with a well-earned extra special date experience for Valentine's Day.
Parents to the aquarium's baby penguin chicks born last year, Arabel and Pablo have been working hard to raise their young. Their rare pair of chicks became the first to hatch at the center as part of a global breeding program after Gentoo penguin numbers declined rapidly.
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire student and violinist Marketa Nadvornikova visited the center to serenade the proud parents. However, the rest of the penguins colony soon followed behind to see what all the fuss was about.
Nadvornikova said: "This is certainly the most unique place I've performed in."
Jonny Rudd, curator at the center, said: "With Valentine's Day being so close to the start of breeding season it was the perfect opportunity to treat our dedicated penguin parents, in the hope we can encourage another successful period of breeding."
