Woodland Park Zoo Welcomes New Penguin Chick

Woodland Park Zoo‘s penguin colony has a new member.

Late last month, resident Humboldt penguins Merlin and Tucker became parents to a female, the zoo confirmed in a press release on Friday.

The yet-to-be-named chick remains in a nesting burrow with her parents. Zoo staff are routinely weighing her to make sure she is reaching growth milestones, and she is expected to join the rest of the colony in the outdoor habitat later this summer, the release said.

Since its first breeding season in 2010, the zoo has successfully raised 98 Humboldt penguins. The colony now has 34 penguins.

Merlin and Tucker were paired through the Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program among accredited zoos that works to maintain healthy and genetically diverse animal populations. The zoo currently participates in more than 100 Species Survival Plans.

Humboldt penguins are considered a vulnerable species, with about 23,800 remaining in their natural range along the coasts of Peru and Chile.

Those looking to support the zoo’s penguins can also participate in its ZooParent program, which helps fund animal care, education, and wildlife conservation in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.