During the winter months, the king penguin colony heads out on Calgary Zoo grounds for a daily enrichment walk at 10:00 am.
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The king penguin is the second largest penguin on Earth. The belief that it is the largest of all penguin species, "the king", was overturned in 1884 when its close relative the emperor penguin, which is nearly 30cm taller, was recognized as a separate species.
King penguins have colourful feathers around their necks and heads, which makes them the brightest of all the species of penguin. King penguins don't make a nest. Instead, they lay only one egg at a time and carry it around on their feet covered with a flap of abdominal skin called the brood patch.
During the winter months, the king penguin colony heads out on Calgary Zoo grounds for a daily walk to keep their brains and bodies healthy. This incredible program allows visitors to get an up-close look at the group of king penguins as they explore, exercise, and waddle their way through the zoo.
This year’s walk is extra special for zoo staff and visitors alike as it will be the first walk for the zoo’s newest king penguin chick, Boudicca, who hatched on July 18, 2020 to seasoned mom, Grace and her partner, Solomon.
During the walk you will easily be able to spot Boudicca by her roly-poly shape and fluffy down feathers. You can also be on the lookout for seasoned mama Grace (purple band on her left wing) and proud papa, Solomon (orange band on his right wing).
In addition to the new chick, zoo guests may see as many as 13 adult king penguins participating in the daily walk including: Diana, Grace, Arthur, Solomon, Tut, Cleopatra, Antoinette, Josephine, Louis, Phillipe, Henri, Napoleon and George.
Napoleon and George were the two roly-poly king chicks last year. On this year’s walk you will see them all grown up! Napoleon has a yellow band on his right wing and George has a light blue band on his right wing.
The daily walk starts at Penguin Plunge, loops down to the Discovery Trail Bridge, and then back up to the penguin habitat over a 15-minute period. The walk is dependent on the birds’ desire to walk as well as the weather.
Penguins can be susceptible to respiratory illnesses caused by airborne fungal spores that grow on decomposing plant material. Those spores are easily dispersed by wind. If the temperature warms up to +6°C, drops below -25°C, or the wind are too excessive, the walk will be cancelled.
Visitors over the age of two must wear face masks while watching the outdoor walk. ■