The Courier has teamed up with Blair Drummond Safari Park to offer readers the chance to win a family pass for two adults and two children each week - and learn a bit more about their residents at the same time.
What animal at the park has a different collective noun depending on whether it is in the water or on land? The answer is penguins.
On land, a group of penguins is known as a ‘waddle’ (you can probably guess why!), and in the water they are known as a ‘raft’.
A safari park spokesperson said: “Here at the park we have a group of 12 Humboldt penguins. Many people often assume that penguins always come from very cold climates, but Humboldt penguins actually come from the coast of South America.
“There are currently 18 recognised species of penguins, and Humboldts fall somewhere in the middle in terms of their height, standing about 60-70cm tall.
“The tallest penguins are Emperor penguins which can be over a metre tall, and the smallest are Fairy penguins which are around 30cm.
“Humboldt penguins can be differentiated by the distinct pattern of black spots on their white chest. This spotting is unique to each individual, just like our fingerprints.
“However, it can be difficult to pick up these differences, especially from a distance, and so we also use coloured armbands to identify which penguin is which in our group. The colour and placement of the band on the wing helps us to know who’s who.
“Our group is made up of several penguin couples, as well as four singletons and two youngsters. Right at the top of the family tree we have Forrest and Rocky, and Sheldon and Freckles. These two couples are now grandparents to one of our youngest penguins - Trixie.
“Each penguin has their own personality, and some are more friendly with keepers than others. In general, our penguins are quite picky about who they will take food from. One thing they all enjoy however, is shiny things. As a form of enrichment, our keepers will put things like mirrors or CDs into their enclosure. We also blow bubbles for them to play with.”
Blair Drummond Safari Park is open seven days a week, from 10am until 5.30pm. Tickets can be booked online at blairdrummond.com.
For a chance to win a family pass, which can be used any one day during the park’s opening season this year, just answer the following question: What is the name of the smallest penguin species?
Send the coupon with your answer, name, address and contact number to: Safari Park Competition, West Lothian Courier, One Central Quay, Glasgow, G3 9DA. The deadline is Wednesday at 4pm. Only original vouchers will be accepted, no photocopies.
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