Edinburgh Zoo welcomes first penguin chicks of the year in new photos
The adorable animals hatched last week.
Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed the first penguin chicks of the year. The zoo shared adorable photos of the youngsters.
On Thursday, May 1, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland revealed that the first penguin chicks of this year's breeding season have hatched. The chicks were born to Gentoo penguin couple Muffin and Mittens.
One of the chicks pictured was born at Edinburgh Zoo on April 24, following an incubation period of between 34 and 37 days. During this time, Muffin and Mittens took turns to look after the egg.
Gentoo penguins typically mate with the same partner each year. When hatched, their chicks weigh approximately 98 grams—around the same as half of an avocado.
Visitors to Edinburgh Zoo can now spot the chicks and their parents. They will be lounging around Penguins Rock, which is the biggest outdoor penguin pool in Europe.
The chicks can also be spotted on the zoo's Penguin Cam. This is a live webcam that was created for animal lovers to keep an eye on the penguins as their eggs begin to hatch.
The Edinburgh Zoo website states: "This year, we're going behind-the-scenes of our penguin breeding season to bring you all the latest gossip from Penguins Rock!
"With pebble pinching, beaks being turned and love triangles, it's the most exciting time to be a penguin at Edinburgh Zoo.
"Make sure you're keeping up-to-date by following along on our social media channels."
Edinburgh Zoo is home to a sizeable population of gentoo penguins. There are approximately 100 of the species living at Penguins Rock.
Gentoo penguins are the third-biggest species of penguin in the world. They have the most prominent tail of all penguins, and are among the fastest underwater birds.
The species can dive to depths of up to 665 feet, and can remain underwater for around seven minutes. While swimming, they can reach speeds of up to 22 miles per hour.
According to Edinburgh Zoo, while gentoo penguins all look similar, each one "has distinct personality and they are well known by our keepers". Staff at the zoo use different coloured flipper bands to help tell them apart, with males having bands on their right flipper and females on their left.
As previously reported by the Daily Record, Edinburgh Zoo recently welcomed a "famous" TikTok capybara. Rodney arrived at the zoo in early April, joining fellow capybaras Luna and Cali.
Rodney rose to fame on TikTok in 2024, when he was born at Dartmoor Zoo in England. He became the only pup, also affectionately known as a babybara, born to mum Hoodoo.
We also reported that Edinburgh Zoo is to welcome sloth bears for first time ever with an "amazing" habitat. The zoo is working to build a habitat for the vulnerable species, after which they will be able to call the Scottish capital home.
More information can be found on the Edinburgh Zoo website.
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