The Chester Zoo, in the United Kingdom, celebrated an extraordinary breeding season with the birth of ten Humboldt penguin chicks (Spheniscus humboldti), a species classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
One of the season’s highlights was the inclusion as parents of Scamp and Flounder, a male pair raising a chick in their nest for the first time.
The experience is part of a strategy coordinated by the zoo’s ornithology team, who redistributed incubated eggs among other pairs —like Wotsit and Peach— to ensure the greatest possible success in the chicks’ development.
Shared parenting and emotional bonds
Although Scamp and Flounder had never raised a chick before, the team acknowledges that same-sex pairs are not uncommon among these birds. Similar cases have been recorded in aquariums and zoos in Australia, Spain, and the United States in the last decade. Penguins are known for their monogamous behavior and strong emotional bond, regardless of sex.
During the process, both parents take turns feeding the chick with a protein-rich mix they prepare from the fish supplied by the caretakers. The chick —whose sex has not yet been identified— quadrupled its weight since its birth in April and will soon start its first swimming sessions, a key milestone in its development.
Conservation and symbolism
The 63 Humboldt penguins colony at Chester Zoo is part of an international captive breeding program. This program aims to maintain a genetically healthy population in European conservation institutions.
This species native to the coasts of Peru and Chile has seen its population decrease by over 85% in the last 40 years, due to climate change, overfishing, and habitat loss.
“This year has been exceptional for the penguins here,” celebrated Zoe Sweetman, team director, who also highlighted the creative approach taken to name the new chicks.
Eight out of the ten born already have names inspired by the cosmos: Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair, and Xena. The name of Scamp and Flounder’s chick will be chosen with public participation through social media.
In addition to strengthening the commitment to the preservation of threatened species, this type of stories also allow us to showcase the diversity of animal behavior and reflect on the multiple caregiving models present in nature.
