An Innovative and Inspiring Space for a Growing African Penguin Colony

enguins are among the most iconic and beloved avian groups, and the PCincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is embarking on an opportunity to further their engagement in care and conservation of African Penguins. This species in particular is endangered in their native range and requires the collective focus of zoos, aquariums, and other conservation organizations to ensure its survival into the future. The Cincinnati Zoo is seeking to construct a new habitat space for African Penguins that will allow for our colony to grow from 11 birds to 30+, which will contribute immensely to ex-situ conservation efforts, not to mention inspiring our visitors to care more about the species’ plight. A brand new habitat offers the opportunity to dream and innovate and truly bring the best experience to its animal residents. The new African Penguin habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo will be three times larger than the current space and offer a variety of new habitat feature to maximize their welfare, including: a dynamic pool area to encourage natural swimming behavior and exercise, natural substrates to dig into and to promote improved foot health, outdoor heating and cooling so that penguins can stay outside longer in the year, and a dramatically larger indoor bedroom area with a pool and UV-transmitting skylights to ensure health and comfort during our Cincinnati winter. African Penguin reproduction will be a key goal of this new habitat, and the new habitat and bedroom area will offer the opportunity to expand our nesting sites and maximize successful rearing of chicks. The new nest sites are also a great opportunity to engage visitors in African new habitat space will also be completely ADA- Penguin field conservation, as a primary conserva- accessible, further evidencing our commitment to tion strategy in South Africa is to build artificial nest being accessible to all those in our community. sites along the coast. Finally, the new African Penguin The habitat will also feature education and con- habitat will feature a state-of-the-art servation messaging to move our RFID system that will allow us to track visitors’ inspiration to conservation our birds’ movement, behavior, and action. space usage – all important indicators A new habitat should be optimal of health and welfare. Very few zoo for animal welfare and visitor expe- habitats feature technology in this rience, as well as contribute to con- fashion, and this will be the first de- servation education, and this African signed for an African Penguin habitat. Penguin habitat will be a prime exam- The new African Penguin area ple of this approach. The Cincinnati will also dramatically improve the ex- Zoo & Botanical Garden welcomes perience for our Zoo visitors. A new anyone to learn more and contribute underwater viewing area will allow as we continue on this journey of our visitors to view our penguins More Home to Roam for our African explore and play underwater. This Penguins.