Video: Thousands take in the Penguin Plunge at the zoo

  Sergei Belski/Calgary Zoo

Thousand made their way to the Penguin Plunge exhibit in its opening weekend at the Calgary Zoo.

• Skene said the zoo is typically busy over this weekend, but the Plunge has likely added a couple thousand extra to the gate numbers.
• Signs posted at the admission counter stated a possible two hour wait to see the penguins Monday

DARREN KRAUSE

METRO CALGARY 

 

Published: February 21, 2012Like many in line for the Calgary Zoo’s Penguin Plunge Monday, Catherine Barrett was a placeholder.

Barrett, a seasoned Calgary Zoo-goer, stood with her coffee in hand — in a penguin line expected to be a minimum of two hours long — while her family took the trail through the nearby Canadian Wilds.

It didn’t bother her. It would all be worth it, she said, when she saw the look on her seven-year-old animal-loving daughter, Sofia’s face.

“They’re penguins. They’re fascinating,” Barrett said, later admitting she and her husband contemplated taking the day off mid-week to avoid the lines.

Barrett was among the thousands to take in the Calgary Zoo over the Family Day long weekend, with attendance bumped up by the new flightless birds.

“The penguin exhibit is proving to be extremely popular among our guests,” said Laurie Skene of the Calgary Zoo.

Barrett said the next exhibit brings excitement to the zoo.

“I think it’s great they brought the penguins in,” she said, noting sometimes zoos get a bad rap for having the animals in captivity.

“It’s important for people to be able to see and interact with animals like this.”

The Penguin Plunge opened last Friday.


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