Abandoned penguin chicks thriving
Image: Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
A pair of endangered African black-footed penguin chicks are reportedly thriving at Whipsnade Zoo, after being abandoned at just eight weeks old after their parents failed to feed them.
Keepers at the zoo are hand-rearing the young chicks, feeding them small portions of fish twice a day and weighing them regularly to check their progress.
One keeper, Mairee Vincent, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to see how far the chicks have come in the last month; they’re really beginning to thrive. Both are beginning to lose their fluffy grey feathers, with one of them currently sporting a very fetching Mohawk.
“As they grow up and get their first waterproof coating, they’ll move into the Zoo’s penguin training pool, where they’ll learn to swim and feed in the water. It will be a big step for them and will really help to build their confidence.”
Yet to be sexed, the chicks have been named Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles after the Flintstones characters, with hopes that they will be life-long playmates.
Eventually, the pair will rejoin the zoo's colony of African black-footed penguins, and become a part of the European Breeding Programme for the species.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
