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Penguins in the Zoo
For a lot of these zoos, you can find pictures of penguins and other animals in the photogalery Antwerpen Amersfoort Aachen Paradisio Artis in Amsterdam Augsburg Sealife Blankenberge Avifauna Berlijn Burgers Zoo in Arnhem Bremerhaven Safaripark Beekse Bergen Dortmund Dierenpark Emmen Frankfurt Aquazoo in Leeuwarden Hagenbeck in Hamburg Ouwehands in Rhenen Hannover Blijdorp in Rotterdam Jaderpark Karlsruhe Köln Vogelpark Marlow Hellabrunn München Münster Nürnberg NaturZoo Rheine Osnabrück Tierpark Sababurg Zoo Schwerin Vogelpark Walsrode Wilhelma, Stuttgart Wuppertal
- Zoological Garden in Antwerpen (B)
In the zoological garden of Antwerp, they have about 20 humboldt penguins in an open (new since July 2000) home.
And in the exhibit "Vriesland" you will find king penguins, macaroni penguins and gentoo penguins (new since Nov 2006).
Feeding time is 15.00 p.m (humboldt) and at 11.30 a.m + 15.30 p.m. for the sub-antarctic penguins.
Normally births take place:
- for humboldt penguins in February - March.
- macaroni penguins in May- June.
By preference, the chicks will be left with their parents so they can raise them themselves.
As humboldt penguins are hole-breeders, you can't see much of the chicks. The chicks of the others can eventually be seen....
After written asking and appointment, exceptionally you can feed the humboldt penguins yourself.
A view behind the scenes is not allowed.
With thanks to Mr. Steven Vansteenkiste, curator of Birds in the Zoo of Antwerpen, who kindly gave me this information.
Also look at pictures of king and macaroni penguins and rockhoppers and other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Zoo Paradisio (B)
In Paradisio live some african penguins, which you can admire under water and on land.
The whole zoo has a beautiful environment with very much space for the animals. There are a lot of bird species you find nowhere else in a zoo around.
In the weekend a bird of prey show takes place with vultures, eagles and owls.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Sealife Blankenberge (B)
In Sealife live a few humboldt penguins.
Sealife is specialized on all live in and on the water.
Back to top- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands)
The "Dierenpark Amersfoort" has African penguins.
Part of them comes from Arnhem, the other part from Artis in Amsterdam.
Feeding-time are, dependent from pressure from other duties in the bird-department, round 9.00 a.m. and 15.45 p.m.
Only the attendants may feed and touch them, because the young animals are very sensitive by contact with humans.
There is no "view behind the scenes", because the birds are all the time in their home outside.
With thanks to Mr. Raymond van der Meer, Curator Dierenpark Amersfoort, who kindly gave me this up-to-date information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Artis in Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Here you can find african penguins.
Artis is very succesful in raising chicks for these species: about 20 till 40 yearly.
Mr. Jaap Govers, working here, is responsible for the "European Endangered Species Programm" (see conservation by EAZA) for african penguins.
There is no "behind the scenes", as they live outside. A view in the nests is not allowed for obvious reasons.
Feeding-times: 11.30 p.m and 15.30 a.m.
With thanks to Paul Valenkamp in Artis Zoo, for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Terug naar top- Avifauna (Netherlands)
Here live 62 african penguins (state June 2004), including 9 chicks, all hatched in zoos.
They have twoo breeding periods: First in February/March and the second one in September / Oktober. You can't see them hatch in the nests and the chicks stay with their parents unless in very rare situations, but that happens almost never.
Feeding time: 14.15 p.m. with informative presentation of a bird attendant.
The oldest one has hatched in 1987 in Artis and moved to Avifauna in 1989.
Avifauna has a masterplan for changes in the zoo. One phase includes the development of a Coast Biotope with swells and rocks. Seabirds will live next to and in salt water there.
With thanks to Saskia Lucardie, doing teaching practice in Avifauna, for this information.
Back to top- Burgers Zoo in Arnhem (Netherlands)
The Burgers Zoo in Arnhem has a large group African penguins: 28 males, 22 females, 3 chicks from 4 months old and 4 chicks of one month (state June 2004), all born in captivity.
Feeding-times are twice a day but not on fixed times.
They have more than 10 chicks pro year, between December and February. You can't see this, because the welfare of the animals is the main priority and birds would be too much attached to humans. The birds have to breed and raise their chicks on their own, no breeding machine or hand-raising by the attendants.
Often the chicks in the creche find their mate for live already there.
The oldest penguin here is hatched in Blijdorp, Rotterdam in 1987.
A "view behind" is not allowed because too many people want this.
With thanks to Mr. Marc Damen, Biological Department, in the Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, who kindly gave me this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Safaripark Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek (Netherlands)
In Safaripark de Beekse Bergen they have about 50 African penguins.
Most of them come from Artis (Amsterdam) and about 12 from own breedings.
Feeding times are at 09:00 a.m. (not for visitors) and at 15:45 p.m.
You can see the penguins the entire year, so there is no "view behind".
With thanks to Mr. Maarten Hertzberger, penguinattendant in safari de Beekse Bergen, who gave me this information.
Back to top- Dierenpark Emmen (Netherlands)
Here you find a large group of humboldt penguins (160, state June 2004), all born in captivity, in a beautiful, very nature-like exhibit of rocky coasts. (also see fotogalery - humboldt penguins)
Feeding times: consciously at no fixed times, except during breeding periods.
Breeding periods in September and in May. The chicks hatch in the exhibit, and so, with a bit of luck, you can see them from the start. Eggs and chicks always stay with the parents, and the birds live a very natural-like live.
At the moment (June 2004), there are more than 10 chicks, some of them already molting to juvenile feathers.
There is no "view behind" because they are always outside except by extreme cold temperatures.
Mr. Pierre de Wit, who works here, is coördinator for the "European Endangered Species Programm" (see conservation by EAZA) for humboldtpenguins.
With thanks to Mrs. Lida Hijnen for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Aquazoo in Leeuwarden (Nederland)
Here you can find african and humboldt penguins.
Back to top- Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen (Netherlands)
They have humboldt penguins in the "Ouwehands Dierenpark": 16 male, 15 female, 10 chicks from unknown sexe and 2 breeding pairs yet (state June 2004).
Oldest penguin here is 19 years old.
A part of the group moves to other zoos, while the park works with the E.E.P. programm for humboldt penguins. This programm coördinates the places, so young penguins move to other zoos and when the group becomes too old or birds die, they will be replaced. So at least in zoos this endangered species has a chance to survive.
Feeding times vary and will be announced daily at the entry.
Mostly the penguin births take place between December and August. They never use a breeding machine but leave the eggs and chicks with the parents, so everything goes very nature-like.
You can't (obvious, because hole-breeders!) see this births.
Feeding is not allowed, but if you wish, you can make an appointment for a view-behind..
With thanks to Gerard Meijer from Ouwehands Dierenpark for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Zoo Blijdorp in Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Here you find about 22 African penguins.
Since July 2001, they also have about 20 kingpenguins in the new "Oceanium".
Feeding times are in the morning (?) and at 15.30 p.m.
Special and positive is the fact that they give information about the penguins during the feeding and you can ask questions too. Especially for the children this can be very interesting. Sometimes they ask really funny stuff.
She also told that they were ringed, dependent of their sexes, either left or right.
With thanks to the attendant, who kindly gave me this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Zoo in Aachen (Germany)
On 15 December 2001 opened a new enclosure for African penguins, they live together with some other birds from the Wadden.
With thanks to Mr. Wolfram Graf-Rudolf, Direktor Aachener Tierpark, for this information.
Back to top- Zoo in Augsburg (Germany)
Here they have 1 humboldt penguin and 6 magellanic penguins (state June 2004), all a bit older and since a few years no chicks anymore.
They are vainly searching for some new breeding pairs of magellanic penguins.
Their food is herring and little mackerel.
A view-behind would be possible after making an appointment and, of course, only with the attendant.
With thanks to Pascale Jüch, Dipl. Zoologin in the zoo of Augsburg, who kindly gave me this information.
Back to top- Zoo in Berlin (Germany)
Here you find about 10 humboldtpenguins and 25 african penguins outside, and rockhoppers and king penguins in a special exhibit inside.
Feeding times are not fixed.
About 5 times yearly you can find breeding african penguins here.
The zoo of Berlin has about 14 000 animals. Special favorites are the two giant pandas.
With thanks to the Zoo of Berlin for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Zoo am Meer - Bremerhaven (Germany)
Here you find humboldt penguins.
Feeding times: 10.15 a.m. and 14.45 p.m.
With thanks to Dr. Heike Kück for this information.
Back to top- Zoo in Dortmund (Germany)
They have humboldt penguins (18, state June 2004), 3 born in the wild, the others in zoos. There are some pairs, who live harmonious together but it is not clear if these are really male-female-couples, because sometimes birds of the same sex live harmonious together, without "suspicion". They haven't raised young until yet.
Feeding-time is at 14.30 p.m., food contains herring and mackerel.
Sometimes, on children's birthday party's or with groups, you can take a look behind, but only on demand.
With thanks to Mrs. Ilona Schappert, zoo assistant in the zoo of Dortmund, for this information.
Back to top- Zoo Frankfurt (Germany)
Here you find 9 gentoo penguins, 3 male and 6 female.
Feeding times are : 10.45 a.m. and 15.45 p.m, except on friday.
Mostly the eggs hatch in August in the zoo.
Sometimes it is possible to look behind by special occasions, after agreement from the zoo.
They have a lot of others animals, like little panda, indian lion, okapi, fishes, amphibies, ...
With thanks to Bert Geyer, veterinary surgeon and Stephan M. Hübner, Dipl.-Biol. trainee for this information.
Back to top- Hagenbeck in Hamburg (Germany)
Here you find 23 humboldt penguins (state June 2004), all born in captivity.
Feeding times: 10.15 a.m. and 15.30 p.m.
The oldest here has hatched in 1989 in Naturzoo Rheine and moved later to Hamburg.
You can always make an appointment for a special guided penguin tour.
With thanks to Kerstin Jurczynski from Hagenbeck for this information.
Back to top- Zoo Hannover (Germany)
Here you find a small group (13, state june 2004) african penguins, all born in captivity.
While the penguins are very shy, you can't feed them neither have a view-behind.
But for the other animals it is possible after asking.
They have plans for a new large Alaska-landscape, and the african penguins will then live there in a kind of ship-complex. Start building planned for end 2005.
They have about 1800 animals from 212 species. Very special is the hippopotamus, because you can see them under water too. They also have a large elephants-home and a gorilla-mountain.
With thanks to Simone Hagenmeyer for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Jaderpark (Germany)
Here you find humboldtpenguins.
Feeding times are : 11.00 a.m. and 15.00 p.m.(not on Friday)
No "view-behind-the scenes"
With thanks to Jaderpark for this information.
Back to top- Zoo in Karlsruhe (Germany)
Here you find about 20 humboldt penguins and 15 magellanic penguins.
They will be fed twice a day, and visitors can see this at 15.30 p.m.
On regular base they have chicks.
With thanks to Dr. Clemens Becker in the zoo of Karlsruhe for this information.
Also look at pictures of magellanic penguins.
Back to top- Zoo in Köln (Germany)
Here live humboldt penguins.
Since October 2004, they also have some little blue penguins (see pictures), unique in European zoos.
Feeding times are at 10:45 a.m. and 16:30 p.m.
With thanks to Dr. Günther Nogge, Director in the zoo of Köln for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Vogelpark Marlow (Germany)
Here you find humboldtpenguins (circa 20 birds, state june 2004), including 7 chicks, all penguins are born in captivity.
Feeding time: 14:15 p.m.
The zoo is specialised in birds, especially parrots, and butterflies.
With thanks to Jan Gereit from Vogelpark Marlow for this information.
Back to top- Zoo Hellabrunn in München (Germany)
Here you find king and humboldt penguins.
Feeding times are : 11.00 a.m. and 15.00 p.m.
With thanks to Dr. Doris Schwarzer for this information.
Back to top- Zoo of Münster (Germany)
Here you can find a large group african penguins (73, state June 2004), all born in captivity. The oldest is about 24 years old and hatched here.
Feeding times are at 11.45 a.m. and 15.45 p.m., after the seal-training except on Friday. And even visitors can offer fish themselves to the penguins.
The first breeding season starts in July, and those chicks will hatch from August till begin Oktober.
A second season goes from November till Januar.
Breeding time 38 days, raising till they fledge: 60 days.
They already had more than 200 chicks hatched since the first young bird.
Normally parents breed their own eggs, but sometimes, when they ignore it, the attendant lays that egg in a nest from a couple of the same sexe, and then they raise it very succesfully. This isn't so rarely, because among birds in captivity you often find couples of the same sexe.
In the wild, adult birds take care for their chicks during about 100 days and then stop feeding them. At this time the chicks have enough fat and even outweight their parents.
In a zoo, chicks are fed by their parents for 60 days and then are taken away and placed apart in a separate "penguin school". While in the wild those youngsters group together and have to learn to catch fish alone, in a zoo they have nothing on this "inherent talent". Here they don't get a stimulus of swimming fish and they have to learn to accept dead fish from the attendants. Of course this learning takes weeks and a lot of patient of the attendant.
First the chick is placed separate, where it will automatically defend itself and snap and bite at everything that moves around him and comes close. The attendant uses this natural reaction and holds a fish directly before its beak till the chick is satisfied.
As soon as he has learned to accept the fish freely and not as a reaction, the chick will be brought in the water for the first time in his live. Now the fish is offered on the water-surface. While in the meanwhile the hand looks familiar, the chicks will eat enough.
In the last phase they have to learn to recognize the fish as food without the hand and dive for it. This training takes weeks and much patient and time from the attendants.
When they are finally "graduated", they are brought to a separate water basin, not far from the "Wad-birds-aviary". When the breeding period is over for the adults, they finally return to the colony. You can still recognize them as juveniles by their feathers, while they are grey and don't have the so remarkable black band yet. Around 2-3 years they are old enough to search a partner for live and raise their own chicks.
Very special here is that in the week-ends the penguins march through the zoo at 14:00 p.m. and by many visitors a second time at 15.00 p.m. During the summer-period you can "march" with them daily at 14:00 p.m.
Then one special penguin, called "Sandy" by her attendant, is very remarkable. She is so curious for our "human" world, that she even allows him to pick her up and visitors can caress her. This is of course a great attraction for the visitors and the zoo.
Read also Relation with Sandy
They have totally 3120 animals from 352 species.
With thanks to Mrs. Ilona Zühlke, in the zoo of Münster, who kindly gave me this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Zoo Nürnberg (Germany)
Here you find African and humboldtpenguins.
Feeding time is 16.00 p.m.
No view-behind allowed.
With thanks to Dr. Helmut Maegdefrau for this information.
Back to top- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany)
Here you find a small group (22 birds, state 1 June 2004) of humboldt penguins, all born once in a zoo.
On June 6th, 2004 they get a new exhibit, next to the seals.
Feeding times are : 11.00 a.m. and 16.00 p.m.
The oldest one ever been there was 32 years, caught from the wild.
Only on special children Birthday-partys, they can feed the penguins.
With thanks to A. Johann, Curator, for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Osnabrück (Germany)
Here you find humboldt penguins.
Feeding times are at 10.30 a.m. and at 15.30 p.m.
Normally young birds are born between March to May.
Sometimes by special occasions you can offer them a fish.
A "view behind the scenes" isn't allowed, while the birds would be disturbed too much, but every Sunday and on special days visitors can get information about the penguins.
For the rest you can find here 290 different animals, including: elephants, giraffes, lions and tigers, giant otters, and many others...
With thanks to Mrs. Ute Magiera, diploma biologist zoo at Osnabrück for this information.
Back to top- Tierpark Sababurg (Germany)
Here live 5 humboldt penguins (state June 2004), all 4 till 6 years old.
Feeding times: 10:00 a.m. and 16:00 p.m.
On children birthdays and special occasions you can celebrate with the penguins and feed them yourselve.
With thanks to Renate Hofmann for this information.
Terug naar top- Zoo Schwerin (Germany)
You find here 32 humboldt penguins (state June 2004), including 9 chicks, all hatched in zoos.
Feeding times: 09:00 a.m. and 14:30 p.m.(the last one with explanation).
Chicks hatched in April and May 2004, all bred on natural way by the adult birds.
The oldest one here is 29 y.
On children birthdays and special occasions you can celebrate with the penguins and view-behind.
With thanks to the zoo for this information.
Back to top- Vogelpark Walsrode (Germany)
Here you can find humboldt penguins.
Feeding times are once in the morning and once in the afternoon but not on fixed times.
Most of the chicks are born during summer.
When you are present at the feeding time,you can offer a fish, after agreement of the attendant.
A "view behind the scenes" isn't allowed, since they have bad experiences with that.
With thanks to Mrs. M. Mueller, curator in Vogelpark Walsrode for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
Back to top- Wilhelma, Stuttgart (Germany)
They have african (45, state June 2004) and king penguins (4, state June 2004) here, all born in captivity.
Feeding time for the african penguins is at 14:30 p.m., for the king penguins no fixed time.
Breeding period for the african penguins goes from begin November till end March, and this year too they have several chicks. The eggs always are incubated by the penguins themselves, no machine is involved.
The oldest one is a king penguin, named Karl, who is born on July 20, 1973 (31 years old!) in Wilhelma.
No plans for a new exhibit, but when the last king penguin here dies, they wont keep this species here anymore. African penguins will remain in their recent exhibit, which was renewed in 1993.
No views behind, but on special occasions like children birthdays and for zoo supporters, you can "pet" a penguin. With thanks to Mrs. B. Woitschek from Wilhelma for this information.
Back to top- Wuppertal (Germany)
Here you can find king penguins and african penguins.
Feeding times are once in the morning and once in the afternoon but not on fixed times.
Most of the chicks are born between August and Oktober (king) and between December and June (african penguins).
A "view behind the scenes" isn't allowed.
They have plans to build a new exhibit for the african penguins in 2005.
With thanks to Mr. A. Kalthof, Dipl. Biol. in Zoo Wuppertal for this information.
Also look at pictures of other animals in this zoo.
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