MILWUAKEE — Fifteen humbolt penguins returned to their newly renovated habitat at the Milwaukee County Zoo Wednesday, Dec 11.
Penguins of the Pacific sits at the entrance of the zoo and is the first exhibit many will see. The Bird Curator for the Milwaukee County Zoo, Alex Waier says the habitat has new features to make the penguins more comfortable while increasing visitor access.
Waier said, “The first thing you’ll see, which is the most noticeable is the increase pool. We doubled the pool volume. It went from 15,000 to 30,000 gallons and we installed a nose-to-beak experience, if you will; a 23 ft. acryllic panel where the guests can get right up to the birds.”
The habitat also has a new shade structure and an improved life support system that includes a water chiller to help keep the water at a comfortable tempurature all year.
“That will encourage them to use the pool all summer and we won’t have to drop and fill the pool every week, like we did in years past,” Waier added.
He says finding ways to improve the quality of life is a priority for the zoo and a big part of maintaining the physical and mental health of the animals. Waier also notes the new habitat make it easier for them to participate in conservation efforts.
“We’re hoping to have some breeding this year. So ideally we would have between 15 and 22, 23 penguins, which would be a lot of penguins for that space. It gives us the opportunity to have two or three chicks this year, two or three chicks next year and then continue to participate as part of the breeding program for the species as a whole.”
Waier says humboldt penguins are classified as vulnerable and their populations are decreaseing in the wild, but he adds breeding programs have been successful at increasing their numbers in zoos.
The total cost of the reinvation was around $5 million with $3.5 milion of that coming from the State of Wisconsin’s Tourism Capital Grant Program.
