Philadelphia, PA - Philadelphia Zoo opened Penguin Point, a complete redesign of the former polar bear exhibit, for its twenty-two Humboldt penguins. Penguin Point offers exciting new experiences for some of the Zoo’s most popular residents. With nearly twenty times the pool size and an oversized underwater viewing area for guests to watch these charismatic birds as they swim, play, and dive, Penguin Point is sure to be one of the most exciting exhibits at the Zoo this season.
A rocky landscape to explore, boulders to jump from, a much larger pool to swim in, and new nesting burrows are all a part of Penguin Point. Additionally, guests can now enter part of the former polar bear habitat, enabling them to see this incredible species from all new viewing points!
“It’s a great time to visit,” says Dr. Andy Baker, Chief Operating Officer. “With the opening of Penguin Point, as well as new exhibits for our giant otters and red pandas that have opened over the last few weeks, there is so much to do and see at Philadelphia Zoo,” says Dr. Baker. “We are thrilled to provide our twenty-two Humboldt penguins a much larger habitat area as well as offer our guests multiple new vantage points to see these birds up close,” says Baker. “Penguin Point is a great environment and we are looking forward to watching all of our penguins diving and swimming in their new larger, deeper pool.”
Humboldt penguins are from the west coast of South America, along the coast of Chile and Peru. Humboldt penguins are intensely social and gregarious, are usually found in large colonies and have superb swimming skills. Humboldt penguins are listed as Vulnerable in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with primary threats including over-fishing, which depletes the penguins’ food supply.
