Gentoo penguin chicks hatch at Edinburgh Zoo

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has shared images of the first gentoo chicks of penguin breeding season at Edinburgh Zoo. Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity are delighted to report that four chicks have emerged so far and hope more will follow in the coming weeks.

Among the first to become parents again this year were Muffin and Mittens who welcomed the very first gentoo chick on 3 May. The pair previously welcomed a chick, Donut, in 2022 who has settled in well with the rest of the colony at Penguins Rock. Muffin and Mittens are also fostering a second youngster this year from penguins Iris and Girot.

Michael Livingstone, senior keeper at Edinburgh Zoo, said, “We like to keep an eye out for suitable foster opportunities every year. For example, some pairs are really vital genetically but are known by our teams to be poor at incubating. Instead, these eggs are given to good foster parents that cannot lay eggs themselves, like same-sex pairs and older couples, who have a proven track record of raising healthy chicks.

"The first month is critical for their development and we will be keeping a close eye on our new arrivals as they grow.”