Any idea what the size of the largest captive penguin colony is? I can't ever remember seeing more than 30-40 (typically mixed species e.g. Edinburgh, Sea World, etc.). Hundreds would be brilliant, lots of activity, noise, and smell!
this is what I wrote a while ago when we were discussing Kelly Tarltons (http://www.zoochat.com/17/renovations-rebranding-2012-a-286910/): Emmen has a Humboldt's penguin colony of about 140 birds, with space for up to 350 in the enclosure. Edinburgh had 160 gentoos in its colony until recently (their pool sprung a leak and a lot of the birds got rehomed until the pool is fixed): BBC News - Edinburgh Zoo plans for £750,000 penguin colony pool Apparently San Diego SeaWorld has 200 penguins: emperor, king, adelie, gentoo, macaroni, Magellanic, and Humboldt's. Just a few of the more obvious candidates for largest colony
Emmen's fantastic penguin exhibit was on land that is now being redeveloped into the completely new park. The exhibit has therefore been completely destroyed. It's large viewing window will apparantly be re-used in the hippo exhibit. A crying shame. The animals are in their old exhibit in the old park (which will eventually be abandoned) and afaik the colony has been reduced to fit back into their old exhibit.
Are you sure about this? I definitely could be wrong about this, but my understanding (from when I was at Emmen a few years ago) was that the excellent (world's best?) penguin exhibit was a part of the NEW section of the Emmen Zoo, so this exhibit should not have been torn down, nor will it be (unless things have changed). The penguins, a few other animals, and a huge indoor children's area were the only exhibits I saw in that new section, while most of this already-excellent zoo was in the OLD section, which was about a kilometer's walk away, crossing the busy highway via a pedestrian bridge, and walking through an outdoor mall-like market area. While I don't think the penguin exhibit has been torn down, I could understand if perhaps the penguins have been moved (probably temporarily) while the other new zoo's exhibits are being built around them.
The penguin exhibit was in the new section. But when they made plans to develop the completely new park on the new section, the penguin exhibit didn't fit into them. I've seen their plans multiple times and the penguin exhibit was gone on all of them. In the new plans, an ice-breaker (boat) has crashed into the new entrance square as the entrance to the "cold area" and the penguins are getting an exhibit in that, like Hannover did. I'm checking the Dutch forum to make sure if I'm right, but I'm already 99% sure I'm afraid CRYING shame
In total San Diego SW has some 300 but these are divided into an indoor exhibit for Antarctic and sub-Antarctic species and outdoors for others. SeaWorld Orlando's Antarctica exhibit has some 250 adelie, gentoo, king and rockhopper. Jurong supposedly holds about 200 penguins but again divided into an inside exhibit for Antarctic/sub-Antarctic species (Humboldt, king, macaroni and rockhopper) and outside for African. Despite their placement Humboldt aren't Antarctic/sub-Antarctic but perhaps they are less able to withstand warm water than the African? Loro Parque claims theirs is the world's largest indoor exhibit for penguins and the Antarctic/sub-Antarctic section (550.000 liters; depending on source, Orlando has the same or 640.000 l) holds about 250 chinstrap, gentoo, king and rockhopper. When it opens Detroit should far exceed it in size with 1,2 million l. and a depth of 7,5 m but supposedly it will "only" hold about 80 penguins.
Really too bad. I have no question that the "new Emmen zoo" penguin exhibit was the best I've ever seen, including Sea World's. Wroclaw's is huge, but much less immersive and unfortunately surrounded by pretty bad rockwork and painted concrete walls and it's own version of a "giant ship." The underwater viewing will be spectacular (5 meter deep and a truly gigantic water area), but will not reproduce the former Emmen experience of walking through grassy hills among penguins, then dipping down to the stunning curvaceous underwater viewing area.
I have been told that the pengiun exhibit in Emmen was not really suitable for the animals. However, I have no idea if that is the truth or just an excuse to destroy a fantastic new enclosure that no longer fits into the masterplan. I believe breeding sucess was never really good, but I don`t know why. The enclosure will not be destroyed, but changed to accommodate hippos. I fear that will make a crappy = too small hippo enclosure.. it was gigantic for penguins, but hippos?!
I've also been told it's not going to be destroyed but indeed changed into a hippo enclosure. The rockwork is still there. I thought they would only re-use the window, but it's most of the enclosure. I'm also afraid it'll be an "OK" hippo enclosure instead of a world class penguin enclosure. It's true that the breeding results with the penguins have been up and down (some OK years, some pretty bad years), but mostly down and never really into the figures the park hoped... Wonder how the enclosure in Wroclaw will turn out though, sounds impressive
The penguin beach never worked for the Humboldt's penguins sadly. Its design let also a few things to be desired. An hippo area in there without changing rock work …? I wonder over the future design and whether it is sufficient for a hippo group (compare that to their present lodgings (with indoor far from ideal …).
