Flipping Adorable! Two Noisy Penguin Chicks Hatch
We are happy to announce that we have welcomed two adorable new additions to Penguin Cove, following the hatching of two adorable Humboldt penguin chicks.
Guests visiting the Park may have already heard the fluffy duo before spotting them, as both chicks are proving to be particularly vocal additions to the colony.
In honour of the little chicks’ big voices, keepers have named them after musical legends Oasis and Ozzy - both names beginning with ‘O’ as all animals born at the Park in 2026 will have names starting with this letter.
Oasis, the eldest chick, was born on 1 April to four-year-old Kris and her partner, 11-year-old Dumbledore, while Ozzy hatched on 9 April to parents four-year-old Kendall and 15-year-old Elder.
Both sets of parents have been doing an incredible job caring for their new arrivals behind the scenes, but now the chicks have started to venture out of the nest boxes and into the penguin habitat.
Discovery Trail Keeper, Megan Brindley, who cares for the penguins, said, “We are extremely excited to announce that Penguin Cove has welcomed the arrival of not one but two penguin chicks! Humbolt Penguins are classed as ‘vulnerable’ with only approximately 20,000 left in the wild, so we are pleased that we have successfully been able to add to the numbers, through the conservation breeding programme.
“We don’t know the sex of the chicks yet, but we chose names that will suit either. Oasis is the eldest and their parents are Dumbledore and Kris; Ozzy's parents are Elder and Kendall. They are all being incredible parents and the chicks’ personalities are already coming out. We cannot wait for everyone to meet them!”
She continued, “Oasis is shy and doesn't stray far from mum and dad, but happily demands food and attention, whereas Ozzy is like their name's sake and has a great set of lungs and loves to loudly chirp in the nest box. At the moment, both chicks are adorable bundles of grey fluff and are getting bigger every day. As a penguin keeper, having chicks hatch is really the best part of the job.”
Humboldt penguins are native to the coasts of Peru and Chile and are currently classed as ‘vulnerable’ in the wild, due to threats including climate change, overfishing and habitat disturbance.
The births are an important contribution to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s Ex situ Programme (EEP), which helps to safeguard the future of the species.
We also support penguins in the wild through donating funds and raising awareness for our conservation partner, the Global Penguin Society.
To celebrate the birth of the chicks, we will be offering free Little Penguin Wristbands throughout May, for children measuring above 0.8m and under 1m in height, to enjoy the smaller rides within the Adventure Theme Park.
Adventure Theme Park rides are charged extra, but Little Penguin Wristbands will be free for the month of May. Free Little Penguin Wristbands can be collected from the Wristband Office, and the offer is valid only with the purchase of a Ride Wristband.
Guests can visit Penguin Cove in the Safari Walk area of the Park and may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse, or at least hear the unmistakable chirps, of Oasis and Ozzy as they continue to grow.
