An emperor penguin couple hatched their first chick in an ocean park in northeast China, a long way from their previous home in the Antarctic.

The hatching at Dalian's Laohutan Ocean Park in Liaoning Province was the first successful one in China.

The penguin chick was in good condition, according to the polar exploration department of China's National Bureau of Oceanography.

Under threat from global warming, the emperor penguin is the only penguin that solely inhabits the Antarctic. It is the largest of its species and can grow up to 1.2 meters tall and weigh as much as 50 kg.

The penguin chick hatched on Tuesday morning after 66 days of incubation, including five days in an artificial incubator when the couple deserted the egg.

During the incredibly harsh Antarctic winters, when temperatures drop below minus 50 degrees Celsius, a female emperor penguin lays only one egg and keeps it warm on the sea-ice. Scientists know little about the hatching process.

The emperor penguin couple were brought to China in 2008 from the Antarctic. In the marine park, an artificial polar environment has been built for them.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2010)