With the colder weather here, the penguins at the Basel Zoo are resuming their daily walks through the zoo (weather permitting) for the 50th year! The zoo’s gentoo penguins and king penguins spend most of their year in their climate-controlled enclosure because they are very sensitive to heat—their bodies are so well insulated in adaptation to their frigid natural habitats that they can easily overheat in warmer temperatures. However, they do like to explore, so to give them some exercise, the zoo keepers like to take them for a walk around the zoo on days when the weather is appropriate. This typically is done from November through February on days when the temperature is below 10^oC and when it’s not raining too strongly.

The decision whether the penguin walk will take place is made on a day-to-day basis after careful consideration. If it does take place, it will start around 11:00 at the bridge of the Vivarium where the penguins are housed. So if you would like to take a walk with the penguins, visit the zoo on cold mornings in the coming months!

When joining the walks, please keep to the following rules:

• Keep your distance – even when taking photos and/or filming
• Do not touch the penguins
• Do not walk beside the penguins
• Always stay behind the keepers
• Move slowly
• Always keep an eye on children and/or take them by the hand
• Penguins have right of way – keep paths clear
• Follow all instructions of the animal keepers

The penguin walks in the Basel zoo started in 1975 and were initiated by zookeeper Elisabeth Ando, who had seen this implemented in a zoo in Edinburgh in the late 1960s. She wanted to try this in Basel and with a lot of patience taught the penguins to follow her and stay on the paths. In the beginning, some of the animals would occasionally escape and catch a fish in one of the ponds. But eventually, they learned to stay together in a group and have become a favorite of the visitors to the zoo. On some days, they are observed by several hundred visitors! If you would like to join them, just wait for a nice cool day and then make your way to the zoo.

https://www.zoobasel.ch/en/zoobesuch/r/5/fuetterung-and-pinguinspaziergang/

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