Latest

Adelaide Zoo welcome newest member of Little Penguin colony

A new pair of happy feet has joined the Little Penguin colony at the Adelaide Zoo!

A new pair of happy feet has joined the Little Penguin colony at the Adelaide Zoo!

The adorable ball of feathers is almost too cute to handle. Check out these photos of the waddling fluffy penguin below.

The 8 week old chick was born on July 8 to mum Shuffles and dad Cashew and weighs in at 1.08 kilograms.

“This little one is eating lots of fish every day,” says keeper Amelia Kennett.

“This is the first chick of the season, and we hope that there will be more as spring starts to kick in.”

The new chick will be the 23rd addition to the penguin exhibit.

Its name is yet to be revealed, pending the results of the gender test.

Amelia says determining the gender is no easy task.

“We need to send some of its feathers off for analysis to determine its gender,” Amelia says.

“We can also get a rough idea by using a beak measuring tool.

“Even though the chick is younger than its fellow colony members, it is considerably larger; the down feathers add an extra layer of fluff compared to its parents.

“Around 11 weeks old, the chick will have replaced its down feathers with waterproof ones and will be introduced to the colony and ready to swim in the pool.”

The Little Penguin is the smallest in the world, only growing to 30cm in height.

The colony at the Adelaide Zoo are amazing ambassadors for their species. They teach visitors about their status in the wild, and how we can best protect them.

Members and visitors to Adelaide Zoo can watch the Little Penguin keeper talk daily at 2:15pm.

Adelaide Zoo also holds a Penguins in Person experience on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays available for children 10 years and older. For more details look here.



More News

To Top