Edinburgh Zoo’s iconic penguins need £100k for new home

Published on 13/07/2012 00:14

Officials at Edinburgh Zoo have launched an appeal to raise £100,000 towards a revamped penguin enclosure.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) unveiled the bid to help build the new home for the resident colony of kings, rockhoppers and gentoos.

Featuring diving boards and slides, the planned Penguins Rock facility will cost £750,000, with the RZSS to pay for the majority through funding.

In March, it was announced the enclosure was getting an upgrade after the pool sprung a leak.

A third of the colony stayed at Edinburgh Zoo while the remaining birds were temporarily re-homed in other zoos in the UK and Denmark.

Seven gentoo chicks have been born at the temporary enclosure since the upgrade was announced. The first phase of demolition work is already under way and rebuilding will start in September. Bosses hope it will be completed by the end of the year.