Prince & Princess Make a Splash

A pair of Humboldt Penguin chicks arrived at Colwyn Bay’s Welsh Mountain Zoo just in time for the Royal Wedding. The youngsters will soon be set to emerge from their burrows to captivate and thrill Zoo visitors as they explore their enclosure of which they will share with a total of 16 other Humboldt Penguins. [...]

Posted in: Features
Posted on 23rd May 2011

A pair of Humboldt Penguin chicks arrived at Colwyn Bay’s Welsh Mountain Zoo just in time for the Royal Wedding.

The youngsters will soon be set to emerge from their burrows to captivate and thrill Zoo visitors as they explore their enclosure of which they will share with a total of 16 other Humboldt Penguins.

Keepers at the Welsh Mountain Zoo – the National Zoo of Wales are delighted with their current progress and in honour of the recent royal wedding and fellow North Wales residents, have decided to name the chicks William and Kate.

Both weighing a whopping 800 grams (28 ounces) and measuring 20 centimetres (8 inches) the chicks are already growing at a rapid pace. They will reach around 4700 grams (166 ounces) and 65-70 centimetres (25-28 inches) when fully grown.

Both sets of parents were born at the Zoo. First time Mum and Dad to William – Fluffy and Shell – aged 5 and 7 years – have settled into their role well and are enjoying the challenges parenthood brings. For female Humboldt Yoshi and male Humboldt Pudding, raising a new born chick is almost second nature as the experienced parents have now successfully raised 3 young.

Penguin Keeper Zoe Sweetman said,
“I am delighted with the progress of the chicks. It is always satisfying to see chicks being raised by their parents especially when the adults have not done it before in the case of Fluffy and Shell. Given the excitement surrounding the hatching of our Penguins and the Royal Wedding we thought it was only fitting to name them after William and Kate.”

The Humboldt Penguin is a South American Penguin, breeding in coastal Peru and Chile. The Humboldt Penguin nests on islands and rocky coasts, burrowing holes in guano. The current status of this Penguin is vulnerable due to over-fishing and the current population is estimated to be between 3,300 and 12,000.