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Penguins (Order Sphenisformes, Family Spheniscidae)
are a distinctive group of flightless birds, which occupy the southern
hemisphere. There are generally accepted to be 17 species of penguin.
The enclosure at Banham Zoo was unveiled to the
public in 1992 and currently contains a breeding group of 20 African
or Black-footed Penguins. Their call resembles
a donkey's bray, hence their alternative name of jackass penguins.
The zoo's colony has bred prolifically since 1989,
when the first birds arrived. More than 40 birds hatched at the
zoo have left the group during this time, moving to other zoos around
Europe and as far away as Japan to assist other collections in setting
up breeding programmes for this species.
African penguins have a black back and a white
belly with white markings running from the top of the forehead round
to under the chin. Their natural habitat is around the South African
coast where they feed on a diet of mainly fish, but they will also
eat squid and crustaceans.
The species is listed as vulnerable and they are
threatened by oil pollution, reduction of food supply due to overfishing,
egg collection and competition for breeding space with seals.
Internet Links:
BBC Nature
| Banham Zoo
| Attractions
in Breckland
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