Zoo visitors forced to run gauntlet of penguin poo to see giant pandas

Published on 21/12/2011 00:00

QUEUES of people lining up to see the UK’s only pair of giant pandas are having their wait made more than a bit unpleasant – by being hit with penguin droppings.

Edinburgh Zoo said the rockhopper penguins, whose enclosure borders the pandas’ new home, could be suffering from “monochrome jealousy” of Tian Tian and Yang Guang, who arrived from China at the start of this month.

Bosses at the zoo are now considering installing a glass panel to protect visitors from the droppings.

Gary Wilson, director of business operations at the zoo, said the penguins were “extremely curious” about the pandas.

He said: “Our rockhopper penguins, in particular, have been watching the events at the panda enclosure below with great interest, ever since work started on the enclosure.

“Extremely curious birds, they often gather next to the wall to see what’s happening below.

“We’re hoping it’s not a case of monochrome jealousy, but one or two of our rockhoppers seem to have had surprisingly good aim.

“As far as we’re aware, it’s just happened once and the person laughed it off good naturedly, but we think it’s best to look into a solution, probably in the form of a glass panel so that the visitors’ view of the penguins isn’t obscured.”

A 41-year-old zoo visitor, who didn’t want to be named, said: “We were queuing to see the pandas when a man in front shouted out in surprise that his jacket had been hit by a big dollop of penguin poo.

“It was really oily and stank of fish. It was disgusting.

“It was quite funny, but the zoo should do something so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Tian Tian and Yang Guang are due to stay in Scotland for at least ten years.

They went on display to the public for the first time last Monday – and 10,000 people have already booked tickets to see them.