Humboldt penguin chicks hatch at north Wales zoo

29 April 2016 

Three Humboldt penguin chicks - classed as an endangered species - have hatched at a north Wales zoo. The Humboldt breeds in coastal Chile and Peru, but numbers have been declining, with only 7,000-10,000 estimated to be left in the wild. New chicks Wellington, Mack and Poncho recently hatched at The Welsh Mountain Zoo in Conwy, where keepers say they are growing fast.

Three Humboldt penguin chicks have been born at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, which has reared penguins for years. Credit: The Welsh Mountain Zoo

Luckily our breeding pairs are now very experienced and we do not need to intervene by hand-rearing. We do not interfere. All we do is offer food to the parent in the burrow, who is incubating the eggs three times a day, and when the chick hatches we take a 'hatch weight' which is around 65-80 grams.
When they are around two years old, they will go off to join a different collection where they will hopefully find their life partner, as Humboldt penguins are monogamous.

– Michelle Pywell, Head Keeper

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