NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- The Aquarium of Niagara is calling on the public to help raise the roughly $1 million needed to build a new 1,500 square foot exhibit for its Humboldt penguins, which would replace the current exhibit that is 1/5th that size.
"Re-envisioning the existing space, so everything is going to have a very natural realistic feel, so right now it's a smaller exhibit and there's limitations," said Gary Siddall, aquarium executive director.
One of the limitations is the inability to breed the penguins in house, and according to Siddall, their penguins are too old to reproduce. The aquarium would have to bring in more birds in order to breed, something they simply cannot accommodate now.
If they can't breed more penguins, the birds will eventually disappear from Niagara Falls.
"One by one, unfortunately, through natural causes, they will eventually pass away. Without this project we can't bring in any more birds," said Siddall.
Once a new exhibit is complete, the aquarium will be able to apply for accreditation. It will then be able to bring in more birds and begin breeding. They hope to expand from the seven birds they have now to somewhere in the low 20s.
"Being a facility that can house them and breed them, that includes the opportunity to make a broader diversity for them," said Siddall.
The accreditation won't just help the penguin population.
"We have an opportunity to work with species besides our penguins so as we look toward the future and what's next it makes it easier to acquire different animals into our collection," said Siddall.
Mayor Paul Dyster says a viable aquarium can only benefit an area that depends on summer-time attractions.
"Investments in all-season attraction like Aquarium of Niagara is very very important to the tourism industry not only here in Niagara Falls, but across Western New York," said Dyster, D-Niagara Falls.
The aquarium hopes to raise the necessary money to begin construction by the beginning of 2017.