Birdland Park and Gardens in the Cotswolds has welcomed two new female king penguins in an effort to boost its breeding programme.
The unnamed females, hatched in 2021 and 2023 in Wuppertal, Germany, are believed to be the first female king penguins imported to the UK in 15 years. Their arrival comes after a surprising discovery last year—Maggie, a penguin previously thought to be female, was actually male and has since been renamed Magnus.
For years, the park had only one confirmed female, Bill, who is now older than the average lifespan of her species in the wild.
Head keeper Alistair Keen emphasized the importance of the new additions: “We’ve not had a king penguin egg for three years, and no breeding success for nearly a decade. Having two young females who could breed for another 10 to 15 years is massive for us and the European breeding programme.”
The penguins were brought in as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-situ Programme, which works to maintain a healthy captive population of over 500 endangered and threatened species.
Their journey from Germany took a day and a half, and while they are thriving, they must first undergo a quarantine period before joining the rest of the colony.