Inside the African Penguin breeding program at the Denver Zoo

DENVER — It’s common to see kids running ahead Pinnacol African Penguin Point at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance to watch the penguins swim, eat or just waddle around.

There are 26 penguins in the flock. In January, the newest chicken – Junior – will be presented to the public. Junior was born in October and developed a respiratory illness that required several weeks of care at the veterinary hospital. The little one recovered and is doing well – a success story for the zoo’s African penguin conservation program.

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance works to conserve this critically endangered species with a highly controlled breeding environment. When a female penguin lays an egg, zookeepers initiate a unique process, replacing the real egg with a wooden egg. The penguins don’t know the difference, animal care specialist Travis Garrett said.

“They’re going to incubate it and treat it like it was a real egg,” Garrett said.

The zoo artificially incubates the real egg so they can control the temperature and monitor its development. Then just as it starts to hatch, they change the eggs again.

“The chick goes back to mom and dad, the dummy eggs are removed, the parents raise the chick from there,” Garrett said.

Zoos can also use the same process to remove an egg they don’t want to hatch — for example, if closely related penguins are trying to breed. The goal there is to preserve the best gene pool if this species moves closer to extinction.

“This is one of the most genetically diverse populations within accredited zoos and aquariums, so they’re a great example of how science can work,” Garrett said.

Workers’ compensation insurer Pinnacol Assurance sponsors the Pinnacol African Penguin Point and features the animal in its annual “Walk Like a Penguin” campaign to promote winter safety. Safety learning specialist Monica Cabrera said falls account for 40% of the company’s injury claims.

“It’s really important for people to be aware of how to walk carefully in the winter, and penguins do it best with their hands on their sides, and they keep that balance,” Cabrera said.

She advised, stay focused when walking on ice and avoid carrying too many objects or talking on the phone.

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance offers free admission to children 15 and younger until the end of 2024.

Inside the African Penguin breeding program at the Denver Zoo