Oscar the penguin is a favourite with visitors at Drayton Manor Zoo

Nov 24 2009 by Sophie Cross, Birmingham Mail UK

OSCAR the penguin is a firm favourite among visitors and staff alike at Drayton Manor Zoo.
The six-year-old aquatic ace is always one of the first out of the pool and waiting by the bucket of fish and is much-loved among zoo keepers as a friendly and entertaining member of the penguin colony.
A Humboldt penguin hatched at the Staffordshire zoo in 2003, Oscar had to be hand-reared as his parents had not reared their young in the past.
These days, when he’s not amusing onlookers at home, he can be seen happily flapping in the pages of the Birmingham Mail Charity Trust’s new Animal Magic! calendar.
The 2010 calendar features local pictures of a variety of animals – great and small – meaning there’s something for every animal lover’s wall throughout the year.
Young Oscar is known for being affectionate towards his keepers and likes being picked up and cuddled. In fact, he often prefers to be rather lazy and will let the keeper hand feed him rather than have to swim to collect his meal.
Animal Magic! is available to Mail readers now for just £4.99 plus 72p postage and packaging.
All proceeds go towards voluntary organisations and charities across Greater Birmingham.
The 15-acre Drayton Manor Zoo is home to more than 100 varieties of animals.

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