Lowry Park zoo celebrating penguin population on Saturday

Penguin chick ''Thalia'' is seen at the Lowry Park Zoo in August. The zoo is holding a African Penguin Awareness Day event to help raise funds to expand the zoo's breeding center. LOWRY PARK ZOO

TBO.com staff
Published: October 8, 2014
 

The Lowry Park Zoo will highlight its rookery of 15 endangered African penguins on Saturday with a special African Penguin Awareness Day event.

Zoo guests will meet members team that cares for the penguins, hear talks from zookeepers, see up-close penguin feeding and have a chance to check out penguin artwork — painted by the flightless birds as they waddle across the canvas, the zoo said in a news release.

African penguins are seen during feeding time at the Lowry Park Zoo in September. The zoo is holding a African Penguin Awareness Day event to help raise funds to expand the zoo's breeding center. LOWRY PARK ZOO

Lowry Park Zoo is home to the only breeding colony of African penguins in the state, the zoo said.
The event is being held to highlight Lowry Park Zoo’s efforts toward saving the endangered penguin species, and its efforts to raise $300,000 to double the size of its penguin breeding center. Private donations and a state grant have helped the zoo raise $150,000 so far, the zoo said.  “By growing our penguin program, we can help to reach international goals to save this species from extinction,” Larry Killmar, vice president of animal science and conservation for the zoo said in a statement.

Visitors can also speak with the zoo’s volunteer docents who know the penguins by name, the zoo said. “They know which penguins are partners and which are parents. Many guests don’t realize that penguins mate for life. When two of our older penguins — Abe, age 22, and Pepper, age 13, — lost their mates, they found one another. It’s a sweet story of love, the second time around. Like this pair, every penguin has a fun and fascinating tale.”

Penguins are seen sleeping at the Lowry Park Zoo in September. The zoo is holding a African Penguin Awareness Day event to help raise funds to expand the zoo's breeding center. LOWRY PARK ZOO

In their native South Africa the African penguin population has declined by more than 90 percent since 1956, the zoo said.

Admission to the zoo is $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors and $19.95 for children 3 to 11. Younger children are free. More information is at LowryParkZoo.org/Penguins.

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