Visitor Information
| |
|  |
|
 All Events |
They're black and white and what a sight!FLIP out over our cute endangered African penguins and their babies - on display now in the African Savanna.Our Penguin family is expanding!The black and white birds that SWIM, DIVE and FLY through the sea now have little ones! The first chick, "Eldon" (male), hatched on January 28, 2012 to parents "Gozi" and "Puff". Our two newest chicks hatched on March 29th and 30th to parents "Greenbird" and "Colby". We won't know for a few weeks what gender they are, but at three weeks of age, these two newest chicks are almost double the weight that Eldon was, so they are certainly growing quickly! As African penguins are an endangered species we are thrilled with the hatching and survival of our three downy chicks. Don't forget your camera-they are super cute and you'll want to grab a photo or two! Penguin Parenting!Did you know that Mom and Dad jointly incubate the eggs and feed and care for the chicks for up to six weeks? After this the chicks are on their own where they can enjoy the pool and getting acquainted with the older penguins. Another fun fact-African penguins may lay their eggs anytime from a few days to up to one month after the female has ovulated. The Zoo's penguins have been paired based on their strongest genetic compatibility. The breeding pairs are:
Protecting the future of endangered African penguins:The Toronto Zoo is committed to penguin conservation through participation in the African penguin breeding program and through actively promoting penguin conservation. While natural predators such as seals, sharks and mongoose take their toll on the endangered African penguin population, humans are by far the greatest threat to these endangered birds. Loss of suitable breeding ground, competition from commercial fishing, egg collection and the other environmental factors such as oil spills have all contributed to a rapid decline in population. The wild population has dropped 95% in 100 years. Recent estimates have been as low as 50,000 birds in the wild. Learn More about Our PenguinsAttend our daily keeper talk (at 2pm), check out the interpretive stations or just watch our penguins as they interact, socialize and play! Click here to see our African Penguin fact sheet Penguin Games!Just for fun, download our super cool PDF activities to do at home, or bring on your trip to the Zoo! Also, download and install your very own penguin TTF font, start writing in penguin today! Check back often for new penguin activity sheets, collect all five!
Check us out on TV!!Did you know the new endangered African penguins at the Toronto Zoo are famous?! These adorable little creatures are now starring in their own television commercials! Want to see? Below is our latest Toronto Zoo commercial starring our feathered friends, currently being aired on CTV and other local stations.     *Please note all events subject to change without notice. |
