Fluffy Penguins

So a while back (I can’t remember exactly when but I think it was some time around the 40s/50s), a bunch of penguins escaped. A keeper left the gate open so a bunch of penguins just… followed them. And the people loved it. Look at these adorable birds outside their cage just following that guy around! So they get all the penguins back inside and realise that none of them really ran off, they just followed the keeper and went back inside and crowd thought it was amazing, so why not make it a regular thing? Get enough people there that if one of them goes to make a run for it (which at least one has in the past), they can’t get past the people, and let the ones who want outside have a little wander. So every day, they get a crowd, they open the gate, and whatever penguins want to get out can go, waddle about, squawk at people, and then hop back inside.

hey! ducks are adorable and everybody likes feeding them, but bread causes a number of environmental and health problems that could easily be avoided. instead of bread, consider feeding duckies:

frozen peas or corn that’s been defrosted!

romaine lettuce (torn into small pieces)

bird feed of any kind

rice (cooked or uncooked!)

uncooked oats

grapes cut in half

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has a Kickstarter running to help the critically endangered African penguin—we’d love your help! 

Our African penguin colony in Splash Zone is a definite fan-favorite, from the daily feedings, all-day streaming on our Penguin Cam or when they’re taking part in a “March of the Penguins for Science!”

They’re here to inspire people to care more about penguins, and as part of as a Species Survival Plan, a partnership between 50 other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium to bring these endangered seabirds back from the brink. 

And now there’s a way for you to help African penguins directly: Kickstarter for the peng-win!

For the next 30 days, you can “Invest in the Nest” to save African penguins from extinction as part of a Kickstarter campaign through AZA that tackles a critical threat: nesting failure.

Historically, African penguins burrowed into the mounds of guano (aka penguin poo) on their nesting islands, creating burrows where they laid their eggs and cared for newly hatched chicks. Why? Because guano burrows provided ideal shelter: from the heat and rain – and from the eyes of hungry predators. The acid in guano suppressed diseases that could kill young birds.

Unfortunately, humans carted away all the guano for use as fertilizer. That left bare, exposed rock as nesting ground for African penguins – and their numbers began to plunge. From one million nesting pairs a century ago, they’re down to just 25,000 pairs today, with no recovery in sight.

The Kickstarter solution? Custom-designed and scientifically tested nest boxes, which will be placed on breeding grounds as a substitute for the missing guano burrows. We and our AZA colleagues intend to raise $150,000 in the next 30 days – enough to buy and deploy 1,500 of the nest boxes in South Africa.

You can make gifts large and small to “Invest in the Nest”. Depending on the size of your gift, you could receive a penguin present—including art created by our own African penguins, and an opportunity to meet (and even feed!) our birds!

The campaign starts May 17 and ends June 16. We hope you’ll join us, and take the plunge for prolific penguin populations!