Thursday, May 9, 2013

Penguins land in Winnipeg, will meet public Friday

Winnipeg Free Press 
An African black-footed penguin is seen in a zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. The Assiniboine Park Zoo will be host to African black-footed penguins this summer.
An African black-footed penguin is seen in a zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. The Assiniboine Park Zoo will be host to African black-footed penguins this summer. (THOMAS KIENZLE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)

Smile and wave, the penguins are here.

With apologies to the Madagascar penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private, Manitobans will have a unique opportunity to see a group of three African black-footed penguins at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg beginning on Friday.

These penguins won't be trying to tunnel out as their Winnipeg home is the new HUB Horizon Insurance Penguin Cove.

Penguin Cove will be open during regular zoo hours each day at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sept. 30.
The penguins arrived at Winnipeg's James Richardson International Airport at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday from the Georgia Aquarium and are not available for viewing or photography while they become accustomed to their new home.

"The penguins are in good spirits and adapting well to their new surroundings," Tim Sinclair-Smith, the zoo's director of zoological operations, said in a media release. "This is the first time we've ever had penguins at the Assiniboine Park Zoo and we hope this will be a real hit with the public."

The media release from the zoo stated that Penguin Cove "will allow visitors to have a unique, up-close experience with African black-footed penguins.

The exhibit is described as having a strong educational component where visitors can learn, through interpretive displays, about the struggles of penguins in the wild and conservation efforts taking place to assist in their survival.

There is also a penguin-themed gift shop.

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