Latest news with #Twinnie
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Meet Twinnie – the penguin super mum with a toy-boy partner
Penguins are known for their parenting skills – taking a co-operative approach to raising their it seems that one elderly Humboldt penguin has had to lay down the law with her toy-boy who lives at the Sewerby Hall zoo in East Yorkshire, has defied the odds by hatching a chick at the ripe old age of 23. It is her fourth with Sigsbee, who is about 15, since he arrived in 2021 from Twycross Zoo in when she laid her first egg four years ago, Sigsbee shirked his responsibilities as a dad-to-be, as head zookeeper John Pickering explains."Sigsbee wasn't helping her to sit that egg and we were having to feed her on the nest because she couldn't come out to feed," he says. "But since then, she must have had a word with him because he is doing his job properly now." The latest arrival, which is yet to be named, is the smallest in the colony. She hatched in April and mum and dad are doing a wonderful job rearing her by themselves, according to eventually left the nest in June to explore her surroundings."Twinnie is so lovely – she is such a gentle penguin and such a good mum," John adds."We are pleased to say that the chick is doing great and loves swimming with her siblings."Humboldt penguins normally have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years in the wild – though they can live into their 30s in captivity – and experts say hatching a chick at 23 is in 2021, when Sigsbee was struggling to learn his responsibilities, the couple's first chick, Pickle, was hatched in an managed to rear another, Crackle, two years ago, and a third, Bumble, followed last year. As for the future – and after Twinnie and Sigsbee teach the latest addition to the family to swim and catch fish – John says he hopes to hear the patter of tiny penguin feet again next is trying to find out if a hatching a chick aged 24 will be some kind of record. Andrew Owen is head of birds at Chester Zoo, which is part of an international conservation programme."It's fair to say that 23 is a good age for a penguin in general, let alone in terms of successfully hatching an egg," he says."We had a 21-year-old female successfully hatch this year, but it is unusual." Longevity runs in Twinnie's family. Sewerby Hall was home to her mother, Rosie, one of the oldest known Humboldt who has lived at the park since 1990, died in 2023 at the age of Twinnie still has a long way to go to match what is believed to be the oldest Humboldt. Spneb, from Cornwall, recently celebrated her 37th birthday with a cake made of ice and her favourite fish – sprats. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Humboldt penguin: Public given the chance to name penguin chick
What name do you think suits this penguin chick the best - Winnie or Pebble? The Humboldt penguin chick is the newest addition to the zoo at Sewerby Hall and staff there want the public to pick her name from the two options put forward by the zoo team. Winnie was suggested in honour of her mum, who is called Twinnie, and the inspiration for Pebble is because she is smallest penguin in the name also fits in with the names of older big siblings Pickle, Crackle and Bumble who was born last spring. Visitors can comment on the zoo's social media post to vote for their favourite name. Her birth was a pleasant surprise for the staff there as they were unsure if Twinnie, would lay an egg this year due to her penguins live an average of 15 to 20 years, although this can vary due to the species, but for a penguin like Twinnie to have a baby at 23 years of age is quite laid the egg on Tuesday 4 March and dad Sigsbee also took turns sitting on the egg, which hatched on 15 April. Head zookeeper John Pickering said: ''We are pleased to say that the chick is doing great and loves swimming with her siblings Pickle, Crackle and Bumble.''Our penguins are extremely popular with visitors and we are certain that our new penguin will add even more personality to our ever-growing penguin family here at the zoo.''Humboldt penguins are classed as vulnerable to extinction.
