Edinburgh Zoo is welcoming its first furry Gentoo penguins of the season, which were born this week.
Another egg has already started to crack and is expected to hatch shortly, followed by the hatching of several other chicks over the next couple of weeks.
“We are really happy that the first of the gentoo penguin eggs have hatched,” senior penguin keeper Dawn Nicoll said.
“Penguin breeding season is always a really busy time for us, right from the moment we put the nesting rings into the enclosure, through the incubation period, to the hatching, rearing and, eventually, the fledging of the chicks.
“It is always incredibly rewarding when the eggs start hatching and we finally get to see the penguin chicks.
“The majority of them will hatch over the next two to three weeks as the birds will not all lay at exactly the same time. Fingers crossed we will have quite a few chicks keeping us busy this season.”
The first eggs were laid at the beginning in April just in time for Easter and the birds have now produced 40 eggs so far.
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