Easter Treats for Penguins Cause a Splash
Our Humboldt penguins have been seen getting involved in the Easter celebrations with their very own Easter eggs.
Keepers swapped the waddle of 15 penguins’ normal morning feed for a seasonal twist, introducing a variety of egg-themed surprises to their habitat.
Smaller eggs were gently tossed into the pool, transforming the water into a playful arena as the curious birds chased, nudged and bobbed them across the surface, showing just how agile they are in the water.
Meanwhile, larger eggs packed with fish were hidden amongst the habitat, so the penguins had their very own egg hunt.
Once found, these Easter treats proved irresistible to the penguins, rewarding their natural foraging instincts while keeping them mentally and physically stimulated.
Deputy Head Keeper of the Discovery Trail, Vicky McFarlane, said, “We are always looking for egg-citing new enrichment items for our colony of Humboldt penguins - they can be quite p-p-p-picky with what they want to interact with. Thankfully the penguins were in the mood for celebrating Easter with some colourful egg toys! We all enjoy some eggs-tra snacks for Easter and the penguins are no egg-ception. The greedier penguins enjoyed some fish in their egg hunt while the younger penguins love playing with small, floating egg toys in the water, which is a great way to get some energy out of them during the bank holiday weekend!”
Presenting food and objects in this way is a form of enrichment for the animals which not only adds a seasonal flourish to the Park’s Easter celebrations, but also plays an important role in animal welfare, encouraging natural behaviours such as hunting, problem-solving and exploration.
We are currently celebrating Easter with our annual Easter Eggstravaganza event, in which guests can take part in a trail to earn a chocolatey prize, take part in competitions and enjoy some cracking entertainment.
There is a live show with Bramble Bunny, guests can have their picture taken with Chirpy Chick, or they can spot the brand-new stilt-walking act of Petal and Professor Pollen.
This year, the event is centred around native species and our conservation team will be championing all the animals that call the UK home and guests can learn what they can do to help wildlife in their own gardens.
The Park is also decorated with bright and colourful Easter theming, including giant eggs, hay bales, floral displays and photo points.
Guests can see the Humboldt penguins in the Safari Walk area of the Park, which is included, along with the Easter activities, in the admission charge.
