Rare Penguin Chicks Hatch Out at Colchester Zoo

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Keepers at Colchester Zoo were kept busy over the Easter period with four healthy Humboldt penguin chicks hatching out over April. The chicks arrived from three different parents and are being closely monitored by keepers to ensure that they are making good progress.

The eggs were incubated for 40 days before they hatched and both parents had an active role in their incubation and care. When penguin chicks emerge they have greyish brown downy feathers which will eventually moult away to a darker grey colour when they are ready to fledge.

Zoo curator Clive Barwick said ‘We are highly committed to the conservation of this vulnerable species of penguin, both in terms of our breeding success in the zoo and our continuing support for the Punta San Juan conservation project, protecting Humboldt penguin’s in their natural environment on the coast of Peru.’

Humboldt’s are a medium sized penguin from South America, standing at about 65 cm tall and weighing around 4.2 kg. Like other penguins, they cannot fly and have wings that are more like flippers. This makes them excellent swimmers and they can reach speeds of up to 15 mph underwater. They are listed as vulnerable in the wild so the breeding programme for this species is really important.

At the moment the zoo’s penguin chicks are being checked everyday to ensure that they are feeding well and gaining weight. The chicks will remain in their nesting burrows with their parents until around 3 month of age but it is hoped that visitors will be able to see them at their enclosure by the end of the summer.





EssexTouristGuide.com 11th May 2011

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