Cincinnati Zoo’s King Penguin Family Welcome Their New Heir

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: July 5, 2020 11:30 pm

Photo Credit: Cincinnati Zoo

Cincinnati Zoo has added further excitement to its “Year of the Penguin” celebrations with the birth of a king penguin. The chick is the first born at the zoo since 2012.

The chick was born to parents Larry and Coretta and as yet keepers have been unable to determine the gender of the chick. Keepers are keeping a close eye on the chick to ensure that it is growing well. At present it weighs 214g (7.5oz).It will be raised by Larry and Coretta with the rest of the king penguin family for the next 3 weeks and then it will be taken to a temperature controlled area that is perfect for a chick to receive fluffy down. Here keepers will care for him till he can be weaned and is fully feathered ready to return to the penguin colony.

2020 has been dubbed the “Year of the Penguin” at Cincinnati Zoo. “The Zoo’s first birth of the year, in early January, was a little blue penguin, and we’re gearing up to open two new penguin habitats later this summer,” explained Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard.

The two new penguin habitats will play host to little penguins from Australia as part of the zoo’s new Roo Valley precinct and African penguins from Africa that will feature in African penguin point.

Photo Credit: Cincinnati Zoo

King penguins are a subantarctic penguin species and live in a temperature controlled habitat inside the zoos Wings of the World building. As such they are currently off display as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19.

Keepers don’t want penguin fans to miss out on seeing the chick grow up though so will share updates on the Cincinnati Zoo’s social media pages.

From next month you will be able to get your penguin fix as the two new outdoor habitats open as Mr Maynard explained, “Since both of the species getting new habitats are warm weather penguins, visitors will be able to see them swimming in Roo Valley and African Penguin Point next month.”

King penguins lay an egg which is incubated by both mum and dad. They have the longest breeding cycle of any bird. It can take up to 16 months for their chick to fledge.

To date the Cincinnati Zoo has bred 5 king penguins.

Learn more about king penguins – King Penguin Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Cincinnati Zoo on their website – Cincinnati Zoo