The award-winning conservation charity, Twycross Zoo, is celebrating the arrival of its first penguin chicks of the year!
The fluffy bundles of joy arrived to proud penguin parents Dory and Fin, one of the six breeding pairs at the Zoo. Hatching just in time for Easter, the Zoo is delighted to welcome the adorable Humboldt penguins, which are the first of many chicks to come this year.
Humboldt penguins are currently threatened by habitat loss, low food supply, and human disturbance leading to them being listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. As a result, the number of Humboldt penguins in the wild is now thought to be less than 30,000. Twycross Zoo experts hope to continue their work to protect this much loved species, having seen the arrival of over 100 chicks since 1969.
Twycross Zoo is doing its part to safeguard all marine life by using only sustainably sourced herring to feed its penguins. Humans also get to feast on sustainable fish at all of the Zoo’s catering facilities, including “the Catch” Fish Bar, with the hope to inspire visitors to take a small action to support the world’s oceans.
Yianna Cooling, Team Leader for Large Mammals, Birds and Pets, said, “We are so happy to see the first of our penguin chicks arrive, and just in time for everyone to come say hello at Easter! The family are all doing really well and the chicks are being kept well fed by mum and dad.”
