Penguin pool upgraded ahead of breeding season

A penguin pool at a zoo has reopened with a new viewing area staff hope will give visitors a closer look at the birds.

Newquay Zoo, in Cornwall, said the opening of the pool coincided with the start of the colony's breeding season and keepers were already monitoring nesting activity.

The revamped area features a new covered viewing spot and seating space and it is hoped the area allows visitors to "possibly get a glimpse of the eggs when they arrive".

Both Newquay and Paignton zoos were acquired by Dutch leisure group Libéma earlier this year, after they were put up for sale due to rising operating costs.

The 15 penguins at Newquay Zoo are Humboldt penguins, which are classified as vulnerable in the wild due to threats from overfishing, pollution and climate change, the zoo said.

Dan Trevelyan, team leader of birds at the zoo, said staff were hopeful of another strong breeding season for the penguins this year.

"This project represents an important milestone for us," he said.

"It reflects our passion for conservation and education, and it's also one of the first visible signs of the wider transformation now under way across the site."

The development was funded by a "generous legacy donation" made while the zoo operated as a charity under Wild Planet Trust, bosses said.

They said further enhancements were planned as part of Libéma's wider investment programme, including new play areas and a walk-through lemur experience, ahead of the summer season.

Longer term, the zoo teased more ambitious plans, including the introduction of giraffes.

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