Penguin Parade Waddles Once More

The Penguin Post has learned that the Edinburgh Zoo’s most famous residents are to resume the daily penguin parade a year after it was halted while their enclosure was renovated.

The story behind the origins of the parade are as follows. In 1951, a keeper left the door to the penguin’s enclosure open by mistake and a gentoo escaped. Followed by other birds, they went for a walkabout. The escape was so popular with visitors the penguin parade has been a part of the zoo’s daily routine ever since. In early 2012, the parade stopped when the enclosure closed for renovation. Fifty-five penguins were sent to other zoos during the work, bringing the marching to a halt.  The new enclosure, called Penguins Rock, opened on March 15 and the gentoos have been practising their marching technique for the first parade on Friday. Colin Oulton from the zoo said: “We have a mixture of both old and new birds taking part in the parade, with as many as seventeen birds participating in the practice runs. The practice runs have all gone pretty smoothly; the old pros got back into it right away and the new penguins were enthusiastic to join in. “Penguins are naturally inquisitive and they enjoy the opportunity the parade gives them each day. We don’t force any penguins to take part, or encourage them with food rewards – each penguin participates in the parade purely because it wants to.”

As well as the Gentoo and Rockhopper penguins, the zoo’s five King penguins have returned in time for Easter.They took a little longer to get home as they started to moult earlier than usual. The process can be stressful, so it was decided to keep them in England until they had finished moulting. Among them is Sir Nils Olav, the mascot of the Norwegian Royal Guard. Mr Oulton said: “It was actually Sir Nils Olav holding everybody up as he was the last to moult. As the kings have only just returned to the zoo this week it is unlikely that any of them will be getting involved in the first official parade, but it won’t be too long before they are settled and ready to participate.” The penguin parade starts at 2.15pm on Friday at their enclosure.

Edinburgh’s Penguins Returning

The Penguin Post has learned that the Edinburgh Zoo’s new penguin enclosure is set to reopen to the public following a $900,000 revamp. The outdoor pool, called Penguins Rock, offers improved viewing areas for people visiting one of the zoo’s most popular species. For the penguins themselves, the attraction has mock sandy beaches and rocky areas, a waterfall feature, a water shoot and a diving board made out of carved rock. The development also includes a “state-of-the-art” filtration system for the 1.2m litres of water it holds.

Colin Oulton, team leader for birds at the zoo, said: “The new enclosure is a wonderful addition to our visitor attraction and perfect for our penguins. “The birds, both returning and new, have settled in very quickly to the Penguins Rock. “In fact, breeding season will shortly be here and many of our returning birds are already claiming their favorite nesting spots.” Bosses said the existing pool had served the zoo’s large colony of penguins well for more than 20 years but it was starting to need some work behind the scenes, so it made sense to combine it with a visual overhaul.

Darren McGarry, head of living collections, said the animals have been getting used to their refurbished enclosure in recent weeks. “Our penguins have been reintroduced back into their home over the last few weeks, with the 28 gentoos and 27 rockhoppers that remained at Edinburgh Zoo going in first,” he said. “It was a pleasure to see the birds start to interact with the new features of their enclosure – trying out the water slide and sticking their beaks into their new waterfall. The waterfall has actually proved to be a real hit with the gentoo’s. “Next, a week later, came gentoo birds that had been staying in Belfast and Denmark, and there was lots of calling out as birds definitely recognized old friends. “As well as old faces returning, we also welcome a mix of new one and two-year-old gentoos to Edinburgh Zoo as it is important to keep genetic diversity within populations.

“We are really looking forward to see the reactions of our visitors as they see our new enclosure and see our famous black and white birds enjoy all its new features, the mock sandy beach, the clear aqua blue water and creative bird themed interpretation, to name just a few of exciting changes. “However, it is the opportunity to feel so close to the birds due to the new lowered sightlines, and glass barriers and wood perimeters, that we particularly hope people will be thrilled with.” The new enclosure opens to the public on Thursday.

Gentoo Penguin at The Edinburgh Zoo

Top Of The Iceberg To Ya! Penguins In Belfast.

The Penguin Post has learned that the Belfast Zoological Gardens had a flurry of new birds recently with the hatching of five penguin chicks.
In March this year, Belfast Zoo welcomed 40 Edinburgh penguins to the penguin enclosure, while essential maintenance work was carried out to their Edinburgh pool.

Their arrival coincided with the start of the penguin breeding season and keepers immediately began to install nests in the enclosure. The male Gentoo penguins then set to work to fill the nests with pebbles and stones. The nests are so prized by females that often male penguins can obtain a mate just by offering the female a nice pebble.”Edinburgh Zoo contacted us when they realized that maintenance work needed to be carried out to their pool. We were already home to 20 Gentoo penguins and we were more than happy to accommodate the ‘holidaying’ birds,” said zoo manager, Mark Challis. “We take part in more than 90 breeding programs but this has been an especially successful partnership between the two zoos, as five of Edinburgh Zoo’s female birds have welcomed chicks so far. We are hopeful that we will soon hear the pitter-patter of many more little feet in the penguin enclosure.”

Angry Birds: Penguins vs Pandas In Scotland

This is a classic story of an epic rivalry that turned ugly. The images may be in color, but the characters are all black and white. For more than 100 years, the colony of waddling, lovable penguins have put the Edinburgh Zoo on the map. Zoo officials say it was the first zoo in the world to exhibit the birds. Today, there are almost 200 penguins that frolic and dart about, delighting visitors. Lesley Garland, who has been a Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin keeper for the past 11 years, said the penguins have always been popular here because the zoo has such a large colony. “Each has their own personality,” she said. “They’re sometimes hyper-active toddlers and that’s really how we can tell them apart. It’s all in their personalities.” Well, the penguins were the top attraction, until the pandas moved in. After years of negotiating with China, the Edinburgh Zoo was given two pandas on long-term loan. They arrived last fall. The female panda is named Tian Tian, which means “sweetie,” and the male is named Yang Guang, meaning “sunlight.” Not surprisingly, the pandas were an instant hit with visitors. Good news for the zoo, but not for the penguins, who for the first-time ever lost their coveted status as favorite attraction. Are the penguins jealous and exacting revenge? So it would seem.  Forgive us, but it’s a dirty story involving projectiles of penguin poop aimed directly at an unsuspecting public. One pair of penguins routinely nests by fence with a commanding view of the walkways below.

Innocent King Penguins On Parade

Which wasn’t a problem until the main entrance to the panda exhibit was placed directly below. “These people are all waiting to see the pandas and because they are queuing up here, whenever these guys decide to go to the bathroom, it’s been coming over the fence and hitting people on the head,” Garland said. “It could be the revenge of the penguins,” she added, with a mischievous laugh. Zoo officials have a theory, she added, that the penguins could be jealous of all the attention the pandas are getting. So they installed a narrow band of Plexiglas on the edge of the penguins’ perch to protect the visitors below. “I just keep my fingers crossed that that works,” Garland said. “Hopefully none of the larger King penguins will come along and try and maybe fire it over the top.” But the forsaken penguins can take comfort in knowing that in 10 years those cute, cuddly pandas have to go back to China. Perhaps then the penguins will rule the roost at the Edinburgh Zoo once again.

A New Kind Of Penguin Parade

A penguin parade with a difference will take place tomorrow as 29 Gentoo penguins move to a new home within the Edinburgh Zoo. The Penguin Post has learned that the birds will be carried by a team of animal keepers from the normal penguin enclosure to their new home for the next few months. One bird per keeper, the unusual 15 minute parade will wind up at Barbary Rock, the old rock hyrax enclosure, which has been converted into a temporary home for the zoo’s remaining Gentoos. Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin enclosure is currently the focus of an intensive maintenance and upgrade program which will take a couple of months. Essential maintenance work is also being carried out on the penguin pool. The necessary work means that Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin colony of Kings, Rockhoppers and Gentoos have been split up for a short time. A third of the penguin colony remains atEdinburghand the remaining birds have been temporarily re-housed in other experienced zoos. Colin Oulton, Bird Team Leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “Although it will be an extraordinary site to see 29 keepers walking through Edinburgh Zoo each with a Gentoo penguin tucked under their arm, it’s actually the quickest and kindest way to carry out the move. Transferring the penguins in this way means the birds will be handled only once and that the move will be carried out in a matter of minutes.

Gentoo and Chick

Transferring the penguins in this way means the birds will be handled only once and that the move will be carried out in a matter of minutes. Barbary Rock even has the addition of a new pool, recently created for our Gentoo birds, so we’re sure our penguins will be happy in their new home.  And, as Gentoo breeding season is almost here, pebbles and nest rings will be added to the new enclosure next week after the penguins have had time to settle in. “We don’t know if they will breed, but many of the birds are starting to show typical breeding behavior, and we have purposely kept established pairs of penguins together.” Visitors are invited to see Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive, and Iain Valentine, Head of Conservation and Research, lead the p-p-pick up a penguin parade today – Wednesday 21^st March – at 10.30am at the Edinburgh Zoo.

Edinburgh’s Penguin Parade Springs A Leak

The Penguin Post has learned that Edinburgh Zoo’s iconic penguin enclosure is to close for months as urgent maintenance is carried out to fix the animals’ leaking pool, and with it the suspension of the world famous Edinburgh Penguin Parade. The work will mean that the penguin colony is split up today. The relocation process will take up to two weeks, with a third of the penguins remaining at Edinburgh Zoo and others sent to zoos in Belfast, Gloucestershire, and Odense, Denmark. Sadly some will never return. Zoo officials said the first stage of repairs would involve allowing the outdoor penguin pool to drain naturally, which will take around five weeks, followed by an assessment by a team of engineers. The enclosure is expected to reopen in the summer. Hugh Roberts, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the charity which owns and manages Edinburgh Zoo, said: “The existing pool has served our large colony of kings, gentoos and rockhoppers extremely well for 20 years, and to ensure it continues to do so in the future, we need to carry out maintenance work.” Hopefully sometime late in 2012 the penguins will be parading in Edinburgh again.

Some Old Fashion Penguin Viagra?

In the Antarctic penguins usually have no problem picking up a partner during the breeding season. But the Penguin Post has learned that at a British zoo the birds have been getting some extra help – a daily dose of cod liver oil which makes them more attractive to the opposite sex.

A Pair Of Friskie Rockhoppers

During the three months of the mating season, each penguin gets one 400mg capsule a day popped in its mouth by a keeper who holds open its bill. The pills, ordered over the internet, cost about 2p a time and help make the birds look better preened. The move has proved so successful that Edinburgh Zoo has now become a world leader at breeding penguins in captivity and has been able to send birds as far away as Japan and New Zealand to enhance conservation programs. The penguins have even become an internet sensation – with thousands of people logging on to watch their playful antics as they currently enjoy snowy weather in Edinburgh to match their natural Antarctic home. The zoo’s vet Romain Pizzi said: ‘The cod liver oil is given to the penguins during the breeding season as it helps to keep their preen gland healthy. ‘The preen gland is used by the birds during grooming and produces an oil to help condition their feathers. A healthy preen gland ensures the penguins are looking good so they attract a mate.’ In the wild, the penguins would have obtained the oil from their natural diet, which includes cod. However, the zoo is bound by marine sustain¬ability guidelines which recommend it feeds the birds blue whiting and hake instead of cod. The liver oil pills are then used as a supplement.

Cod Liver Oil To The Rescue

Scientists have observed that penguins preen their feathers frequently because they must be in prime condition to ensure waterproofing and insulation. They preen with their bills, spreading oil through the feathers which is secreted from a gland near the base of the tail. During the mating season they head for special nesting sites on the shoreline where the males stand with backs arched and wings outstretched. The birds bond by touching necks and slapping each other on the back with their flippers. They usually remain mates for life. Edinburgh has more than 200 penguins – one of the largest captive colonies in the world. It includes 187 gentoos, 19 rockhoppers and ten king penguins. King of all the kings is Sir Nils Olav, the mascot of the Norwegian Army. Edinburgh Zoo spokesman Claire Richardson said: ‘The breeding ¬season starts at the beginning of March, when the keepers place nest rings in the birds’ enclosure. ‘They return to the same nests they used in previous years and usually pair up with the same partner. ‘Very often the keepers find the birds waiting on their nest position before the nest ring has gone down. ‘When the nest rings are in place, the birds start collecting small pebbles to build their nests.

Sir Nils Olav

‘The keepers provide piles of pebbles but the gentoos often prefer to steal likely-looking pebbles from their neighbours’ nests, inevitably causing arguments. ‘The first eggs are laid in April and the eggs hatch after a 35-day incubation. The chicks weigh between 70-100g (3-3.5oz), but very quickly put on weight so that by July they are 5kg (11lb) and ready to wean. ‘At this stage, the adults and chicks engage in “feeding chases’’, where the chicks chase their parents around the nest-site begging for food. This ensures the parents only ever feed their own chick.’ The zoo’s order for 24,000 cod liver oil capsules came as a surprise to Mitesh Soma, of Chemist¬direct.co.uk. The 400mg pills cost £3.88 for 180. ‘I was stunned,’ said Mr Soma. ‘We had never had an order like it before. ‘They are certainly our most unusual customers, but we hope the treatment works through the mating season, and we get another order next year. ‘We’ve now been approached by other zoos to provide supplements for animals.   ‘But I’m not anticipating dental floss orders for crocodiles!’

Scottish Penguins Are Big Snow Stars

THOUSANDS may be cursing the snow and ice currently gripping Scotland but the Penguin Post has learned that in one part of Edinburgh there are some very happy customers – the city zoo’s penguins.
While the rest of the capital ground to a halt the Gentoo and King penguins at the zoo have become an internet sensation with their happy antics beamed to the world via the Zoo’s very own Penguin Cam.  Ironically, while the zoo itself was forced to close today because of the weather, the Penguin Cam became one of the hottest trending topics in the world on the social networking site Twitter with people passing on the link to friends.   And many of those logging on to watch the birdies were themselves snowbound workers unable to get to their offices.  One user said: “I can’t stop watching the Edinburgh Zoo penguins. I’ve started doing voices for them and everything.”  Another said: “After watching the Edinburgh Zoo penguins today, I definitely feel the need to go home and watch Happy Feet.  And another said: “Snow day. Slippers, cups of tea, malt loaf and watching the penguins at Edinburgh Zoo enjoy the snow.”  A spokesperson for the zoo said: “This a lovely think to see and it has struck the heart chords of thousands.”
To watch the penguins live click here (note: The cameras are not enabled for night vision!)

Scottish Air Show Panics Penguins

P-P-PLEASE don’t p-p-panic the penguins! The Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been asked by the city’s zoo to change the flight paths of fighter jets that overfly the popular spectacle because the noise is upsetting its birds.

The Penguin Post has learned that Tattoo organizers have arranged several flypasts by RAF jets – which produce an ear-splitting 140 decibels of noise – to coincide with the presence of a series of dignitaries during its Diamond Jubilee run.

But Tattoo organizers have refused to change the flight paths, which take the planes directly over the animal enclosures on the city’s Corstorphine Hill, saying that it is up to zoo managers to provide protection.

A spokeswoman for Edinburgh Zoo said there had been a number of exchanges over their concerns that its penguins might panic during their breeding season.

“Edinburgh Zoo was recently contacted and advised of military flyovers during the Edinburgh Tattoo,” she said. “A number of flyovers have been planned during the Tattoo’s run, whereby the jets’ flight path is directly over the zoo’s grounds.

“Because of this the zoo requested the flight path to be changed as the noise from the low-flying planes can be stressful for the animals.”

She said that while the vast majority of the animals would be adversely affected by the roar of the engines, the penguins were most at risk.

“The penguins in particular can become distressed by the sound of the jet engines. As it is the penguin breeding season the animals can get very stressed, which could potentially lead to eggs being broken or penguin chicks being trodden on in a panic.”

In an effort to minimize the impact of the noise, some animals have been kept in their enclosures at night. However, because the penguins live in an open pen, keepers have been unable to make any special arrangements for them.

Alan Smith, the Tattoo marketing manager, said that they were aware of the zoo’s concerns and had forewarned them about the noise.

“We informed Edinburgh Zoo of the flypasts at the beginning of the run. I think that was a courtesy because there had been an issue last year with the flypasts during the RAF year. That was brought to our attention, and we felt that if we were at least trying to give them some advance notice then preparations could be made to do what they could do to protect their animals.   Smith said that both the Tattoo and the RAF had to abide by routes decided by air traffic control at Edinburgh Airport. “So it’s not as simple a question as the RAF or Edinburgh Tattoo determining the route of the aircraft.”

He added that there was just one more appearance by the RAF on Wednesday at 9pm this week: “We are obviously sympathetic to the penguins’ plight but we have one more flypast and we ask, as we always do at this time of year, for people’s patience.”

Penguin Gentoo Chicks Born in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Zoo celebrated the hatching of its first Gentoo Penguin chicks of the year this weekend.  Photographer Debbie Grant snapped these little ones on Saturday. Gentoos are known for their unique circular nests that they build out of piles of stones. Some penguins give each other stones as gifts, typically to curry favor with the opposite sex. Kind of a makes for a penguin Valentine’s Day every day.