Arguably one of the Minnesota Zoo’s most popular species, African penguins charm guests of all ages. The 29 penguins inside 3M’s Penguins of the African Coast exhibit are adorable, interactive, and amazing in the water. On December 4, preschoolers will be able to learn even more about them through exploration and play in the Zoo’s “Penguin Pals” camp (pre-registration required).

About African Penguins:

African penguins rely on warm, sunny beaches to mate, nest, raise young and molt but they spend most of their lives swimming in the cold, nutrient-rich waters flowing up from Antarctica. African penguins eat anchovies and sardines by the dozens; they may also snack on squid, pelagic goby, herring, and other small animals, but their success relates directly to their ability to find anchovies and sardines. Like most other penguin species, African penguins are endangered in the wild. Unfortunately, oil spills, historical hunting, and destruction of their habitat have decreased their population by 80% in the last 50 years. Right now, the greatest source of their troubles comes from a catastrophic drop in the number of anchovies and sardines as a result of overfishing and changing ocean climate.  The latter has resulted in warmer ocean temperatures causing the fish to swim further down the coast out of range of the African Penguin colonies, making it more difficult for parents to feed their chicks, significantly lowering their survivability.  Adult birds are also not eating enough nutrient rich food to complete their molt, which allows them to maintain their feathers, protecting them from cold ocean temperatures and weather while on land.  The species is now listed as “Endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and populations are continuing to decrease.  Some scientists estimate that they will go extinct in the wild within the next few decades.

Did you know?

  • Penguins eat fish equaling almost 15% of their body weight each day. For a 150-pound adult human, that would be like eating 22.5 pounds a day.
  • Penguins are birds, feathers and all. Those feathers insulate them against frigid water. Their specialized wings help them swim efficiently in the ocean.
  • Moving between the cold ocean depths and the hot beach, African penguins may experience a temperature change of more than 70 degrees F.
  • Penguins swim through the water at up to 15 miles per hour— faster than many fish can swim!