Hilton Hawaiian Village is one of just two non-zoo facilities in the United States authorized to breed and raise African Blackfoot Penguins, which are a threatened species, under the Species Survival Program.
The voluntary program is a national effort by zoos and aquariums across the country to oversee the breeding, health and habitats of endangered or threatened species, and maximizes the species' chances of recovery and removal from the Endangered Species List.
In addition to its participation in the Species Survival Program, Hilton Hawaiian Village is licensed as a Wild Bird Rehabilitation Facility by the State of Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
At any given time, Hilton's wildlife care facility may be home to several injured birds, including terns, sheerwaters and other species, that are recovered not only at the Village, but throughout Waikiki. In fact, the Village is permanent home to a Pu'e'o - an endangered Hawaiian owl species. This Pu'e'o, which was found with an injured wing and is permanently "grounded," is the only member of its species dwelling in captivity on Oahu.
