Update 22.07.26
OJ and Diego also hatched a second chick, three days later on the 7th May. This chick had a few medical problems at the start, but with keeper assistance, we are pleased that this chick has now joined its sibling, and both can be seen swimming around the pool at Inca Trail.
In the early hours of Monday 4th May 2026, the Animal Care Team were delighted to discover that Humboldt penguins, OJ and Diego hatched a chick!
This penguin chick shares a special ‘Star Wars’ birthday with its brother, Skywalker, who hatched on the 4th May 2016. Having been seen starting to venture out of the safety of its nest box, the Animal Care Team are delighted to see that the chick is getting braver by the day and usually takes to an afternoon out with its parents.
Mum, OJ, hatched here at CZS on 10th April 2013, and dad, Diego, arrived from Zoological Garden and Chateau, Zlin- Lešná, in Czech Republic on 17th May 2014 when he was a year old. Since then, the hatching of this chick marks the couple’s third offspring.
Humboldt penguins are generally monogamous, and it isn’t unusual for a male to search for the smoothest, shiniest pebble to present to a prospective partner as a gift. They can recognise their partner in the colony through distinct vocal calls!
Unfortunately, this species is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a number of threats including reduced fish availability, penguin entanglement in nets, predation by rats and feral cats and dogs and reduced availability and quality of habitat used by penguins to dig burrows for nesting. Therefore, the birth of this Humboldt penguin chick is great news for the European breeding programme and for the conservation of the species.
Be sure to stop by the Inca Trail to see the group of Humboldt penguins on your next visit to CZS and keep an eye on our website and social media for updates.
