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Celebrate The Hatching Of Penguin Chicks At WPZ

Two Humboldt penguin hatchlings were born at Woodland Park in early April 2020. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren

While the Woodland Park Zoo is temporarily closed, due to concern over COVID-19 exposure, the animal residents continue to receive care and comfort from the dedicated Zoo staff.

The Zoo staff are proud to announce the hatching of a pair of Humboldt penguin chicks, on April 3rd and April 6th.  These are the 73rd and 74th successful hatchings of Humboldt penguins at the Zoo, and with the new additions the Zoo’s colony consists of 41 penguins.

The new baby penguins will be ready for an audience in the summer, and take our colony at Woodland Park Zoo up to 41! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Apr ’20

The new chicks are currently living in nesting burrows, under the care of both parents, and the gender of the chicks will remain unknown until DNA testing can be safely conducted.

A vulnerable species, approximately 40,000 Humboldt penguins survive in their natural range.  Woodland Park Zoo has long been committed to conserving the species by supporting The Center for Conservation of the Humboldt Penguin in Punta San Juan, Peru, and breeding the species through the Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan.

The Humboldt Penguin habitat at Woodland Park, designed to be like their original homes in Peru and Chile. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Jun ’15

During the temporary, emergency closure of the Zoo, the exceptional animal care and veterinary teams, provide dedicated husbandry to more than 900 animals.  As a non-profit organization, the Zoo is relying upon community contributions to help them keep these facilities going to allow these animals to thrive.  Find out more at Zoo.org/relief