Description
For the African penguins here at your Toronto Zoo, time in the pool is more than just fun. It’s an important form of enrichment that encourages natural behaviours, builds positive social bonds between penguins and their Wildlife Care team, and helps the birds spend more time where penguins are built to be: in the water. During swim time, members of their Wildlife Care team join them in the pool. Extra swim time can also help reduce the risk of foot conditions like pododermatitis (better known as bumblefoot), which can occur when penguins spend too much time standing on land. Thanks to generous donations made at retail locations through the Donations at Till program, the @torontozoowildlifeconserva3720 was also able to help fund new wave machines in the penguin habitat, which encourage natural swimming behaviours and provide additional opportunities for enrichment.
Sadly, the African penguin is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing wild populations and the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect this species for future generations. Native to parts of South Africa and Namibia, this unique seabird is threatened by overfishing, oil pollution, and climate change. As a Zoo committed to protecting the species, we are proud to participate in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for African penguins, having welcomed more than 17 chicks since 2011 🐧
Your Toronto Zoo is also committed to a long-term partnership with @SANCC0B, expanding our conservation impact beyond our gates. Through the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy’s Wilding Endangered Species Preservation Fund, we are proud to support SANCCOB’s Penguin and Seabird Rangers Program with $50,000 over five years, helping protect penguins and seabirds where they need it most.
This work is part of our #GuardiansofWild Strategic Plan, which focuses on taking action to fight extinction by connecting people, animals, conservation science, and traditional knowledge, ensuring species like the African penguin have a future in the wild.
During your next visit, make sure to waddle over to the African Savanna Penguin habitat and say hi to these incredible birds!
#AfricanPenguins #GuardiansOfWild #SavingSpecies 🐧