Wildlife Park Welcomes Two New Female King Penguins!

Cotswold House Photography
The latest additions to a colony of king penguins at a wildlife park in the Cotswolds are two new female hatchlings, who hatched in Germany. Birdland Park and Gardens received them as part of an effort to boost their breeding programme.

These females were born in Wuppertal, Germany, during 2021 and 2023 and it is believed that they are the first female king penguins to be imported into the UK for 15 years. The park has discovered that a supposed female named Maggie, who joined them eight years ago was actually male; hence he had been renamed Magnus.

The only female king penguin in the country until now is Bill at Birdland Park and Gardens, but she is also over ten years older than her expected lifespan in the wild. Head keeper Alistair Keen stated that his park has not experienced an egg from a King Penguin for three years nor breeding success for nearly a decade.

With two new females who could breed within 10 to 15 years, this is great news for Birdland Park and Gardens as well as the overall European breeding program. The penguins were received through the efforts of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-situ Programme which aims at preserving more than five hundred species.

Mr Keen expressed that a lot had to be done in paperwork, including making several phone calls and emails round-the-clock over two days just for their road transport from Germany. He added that both penguins were currently feeding well and looking good with quarantine still pending before they join the colony.

The new arrivals are set to boost the breeding programme of king penguins in the UK, contributing towards conservation efforts across Europe. Misgendered penguin given new name after eight years Chick of ‘world’s most dangerous bird’ hatches in Cotswolds ‘World’s favourite penguin’ celebrates coronation Related internet links Birdland Park and Gardens Conservation Bourton on the Water Zoos and Zoology Penguins Animals Gloucestershire