Outdoor exhibits for Subantartic/Antartic penguins

[GiratinaIsGod]

Some Zoos like Edinburgh and Birdland keep their Kingpenguins outside, and others like Basel a d Zurich let them outside in the winter. So do other collection do similar practices, and does it have major effects in breeding sucess. Does it only work in the right climate, etc

 

[birdsandbats]

I've never seen an outdoor exhibit for these species and I am not sure there even are any in North America.

 

[Aardwolf]

I'm not aware of any current ones, but I know that plenty of zoos historically kept their sub-Antarctic penguins outside. Baltimore, for example, used to have rockhoppers (and, very briefly, Adelie's) on exhibit with their African penguins in the old Rock Island exhibit. I want to say Oregon Zoo used to have an outdoor king penguin exhibit years ago before it was replaced with their current exhibit.

The ability to be kept outdoors for a large portion of the year, combined with the fact that they were just a heck of a lot easier to collect, is a large part of the reason that African penguins became so prevalent in US zoos.

 

[Jurek7]

Gentoo and king penguins breed on the coast of South America in small numbers, so they are not strictly sub-antarctic.

Especially gentoo penguin is very adaptable and may be suited to outdoor displays in the temperate climate together with Spheniscus and little penguins.

 

[GiratinaIsGod]

Gentoo and king penguins breed on the coast of South America in small numbers, so they are not strictly sub-antarctic.

Especially gentoo penguin is very adaptable and may be suited to outdoor displays in the temperate climate together with Spheniscus and little penguins.

From what I heared with Gentoos is that they like to put things like leafs, sticks and trsh in their mouths, which is a major problem, since they can easly swallow this objects. But historicly did king penguins also breed in South America

 

[lowland anoa]

From what I heared with Gentoos is that they like to put things like leafs, sticks and trsh in their mouths, which is a major problem, since they can easly swallow this objects. But historicly did king penguins also breed in South America

Yes you’re right, Gentoos do have a tendency to put things in their mouth just as babies do. But the rocks are usually for nests in the breeding season. Edinburgh supplies their gentoos with rocks so they can make their own nests, and it’s always a sight even on the webcam!

 

[DaLilFishie]

Tokyo Sea Life Park keeps Southern Rockhopper Penguins outdoors. Their stocklist also lists King Penguins, which I did not see (probably they no longer display them but the list was not updated), which most likely would have been kept in the same outdoor exhibit,

 

[Nix]

from 1961 until 2009 Pretoria Zoo in South Africa has King Penguins in an outdoor Exhibit, The exhibit is currently occupied by African Penguins.

Two Oceans Aquarium kept a King penguin named Ivan for a short while in a tropical house which isn't outdoors but still quite odd.

Video: Ivan, the king penguin – Blog – Two Oceans Aquarium | Official Tickets | Cape Town South Africa

 

[Zoovolunteer]

Weather is not the only vulnerability of penguins in warmer climates. Many if not all species are susceptible to avian malaria spread by mosquitos, which has caused losses in the UK certainly. I presume this type of transmission is much less of an issue in cold and windy habitats in the wild.

 

[Haliaeetus]

from 1961 until 2009 Pretoria Zoo in South Africa has King Penguins in an outdoor Exhibit, The exhibit is currently occupied by African Penguins.

Two Oceans Aquarium kept a King penguin named Ivan for a short while in a tropical house which isn't outdoors but still quite odd.

Video: Ivan, the king penguin – Blog – Two Oceans Aquarium | Official Tickets | Cape Town South Africa

Pretoria's climate wasn't too hot for the King Penguins ??
In France, the Zoo de Vincennes (Paris) kept King Penguins and probably other species outdoor in the mid-20th century, but when I visited the zoo in the 90's there were only African and Humboldt Penguins, more fit to temperate climates, in the pools.

 

[Nix]

I've never seen an outdoor exhibit for these species and I am not sure there even are any in North America.

If I recall correctly Cincinnati use to keep them outdoors for certain times of the year?

 

[Dr Bright N04]

If I recall correctly Cincinnati use to keep them outdoors for certain times of the year?

Yes. Cincinnati parades there king penguins to an outdoor space in the winter.

 

[Moebelle]

Yes. Cincinnati parades there king penguins to an outdoor space in the winter.

As of last year the outdoor exhibit has been demolished. I didn't see if for myself but I think based on videos they just paraded them back and forth down a long line. I hope this year they're able to display them in the repurposed African penguin habitat as part of the winter parades.

 

[Dr Bright N04]

As of last year the outdoor exhibit has been demolished. I didn't see if for myself but I think based on videos they just paraded them back and forth down a long line. I hope this year they're able to display them in the repurposed African penguin habitat as part of the winter parades.

Good idea.