Folly Farm is urging people across Wales to visit the zoo's new penguins this summer
The top family attraction opened Penguin Coast on May 24 and the penguins have been attracting visitors continuously since.
Edwina Hart, Minister for Economy, Science and Transport opened Penguin Coast at the launch event, seeing the enclosure open to the public for the first time.
The £500,000 investment has been in construction for the past 6 months as penguin fans have been awaiting the arrival of the 24 Peruvian, Humboldt penguins.
The two acre state-of-the-art development has potential to house 40 penguins and contains a penguin nursery, beach area, a 100m3 saltwater pool and a play area with specialised plants and rocks.
Tim Morphew, Zoo Manager at Folly Farm, said: “The penguins are part of a European Breeding Programme and we’ve committed to providing them with the best conditions for breeding.
“The excitement has been building across the country since we first announced the penguins were coming and we’re over the moon with how many visitors they’ve attracted over the past couple of months. Our under water viewing pool has been the most popular attraction as people have had the opportunity to see for themselves how amazing and interesting these animals truly are. They all have their own personalities and it’s been fantastic witnessing them settle in.”
Minister for the Economy, Edwina Hart, said: “Investing and developing our tourism product is key if we are to drive higher tourism earnings for the Welsh economy. I’m delighted that the Welsh Government through the Tourism Investment Support Scheme has been able to contribute nearly £70,000 for the development. I’d like to congratulate Folly Farm on investing in this new enclosure which will attract new visitors and will refresh the attraction for repeat visitors.
“I’m also pleased that Folly Farm found a Welsh based solution for the pump house needed to create a saltwater environment for the birds by working with IAT, the Anglesey-based international supplier of aquariums and sea life and that they have been able to work with local builders and suppliers where possible.
“I’d like to wish this latest venture every success and I expect the investment will reap the deserved rewards during this special 25th anniversary year.”
Many penguin enclosures still operate as freshwater pools with added chlorine, but with questions surrounding the long-term effects of chlorine on penguins, Folly Farm opted for a more natural environment with Wales’ first saltwater penguin pool. The enclosure also has a spacious nesting site for its new additions which is twice the minimum recommended size. giving the penguins more space to ‘dry off’, minimising the risk of fungus which can be harmful to the birds.
The penguin enclosure will be included in Folly Farm’s new offering, ‘The Zoo Keeper Experience’. This experience gives families the opportunity to experience a behind the scenes tour of the zoo conducted by a top Zoo Keeper and families will also have the opportunity to feed the animals.
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