Detroit Zoo's Atticus waddles into semi-finals of March of the Penguin Madness - How to vote for him
Atticus (Photo by Detroit Zoo via Penguins International)
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Detroit Zoo's newest penguin continues to advance in this year's March of the Penguin Madness bracket.
Atticus, a 6-month-old king penguin, is hoping to bring the crown to Michigan. He's currently in the semi-finals after defeating Floppy, a one-flippered Gentoo from the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.
Atticus hatched last August. He is described as being "the fluffiest, spunkiest, and most vocal" king penguin at the Detroit Zoo.
When voting begins Sunday in the next round, Atticus will be up against Marley, a 22-year-old northern rockhopper who lives in Texas.
Another Detroit Zoo penguin, Minnie, was also in the contest. She was unfortunately knocked out in the first round by Nio, who is still in the competition.
Atticus (left) and Minnie (Photos by Detroit Zoo via Penguins International)
What is March of the Penguin Madness?
Coinciding with a favorite time for college basketball fans, March of the Penguin Madness encourages people to learn more about different penguin species while voting for their favorite birds.
"We want to highlight penguins in zoos and aquariums that serve as ambassadors to their species," said Katie Propp, the CEO at Penguins International. "Wild penguins continue to face numerous threats, as demonstrated by the uplisting of African penguins from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Critically Endangered’ last October. Penguin ambassadors at zoos and aquariums inspire guests to want to save their wild counterparts which is why the awareness aspect of this competition is so important."
Hundreds of nominees were narrowed down to 48 penguin contestants spanning 12 species that will compete bracket-style to be crowned the championship.
It's held by Penguins International, a Colorado-based non-profit with a goal of protecting penguins. The organization does this through community education, field conservation, and scientific research, according to its website. The non-profit said that currently nine out of 18 species of penguins are threatened with extinction.
What you can do:
Voting for round four opens Sunday, April 6. Case your vote on the Penguins International Facebook, Instagram story, and website.
Voting schedule
Round 4: April 6-8
Round 5: April 13-15
The winner will be announced on April 18, and a celebration will be held on April 25, which is World Penguin Day.
The Source: This information is from the Penguins International website and a press release from the non-profit.