Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed the first gentoo chicks of the penguin breeding season.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) marked the occasion by sharing "cute" photos of the penguins and their new babies—including one that they are "fostering". Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity were "delighted to report" that four chicks have emerged so far, with more hopefully follow in the next few weeks. Among the first penguins to become parents again this year were Muffin and Mittens, who welcomed the very first gentoo chick on 3 May.
The pair previously welcomed a chick, Donut, in 2022 who has settled in well with the rest of the colony at Penguins Rock. Muffin and Mittens are also fostering a second youngster this year from penguins Iris and Girot.
Senior keeper at Edinburgh Zoo Michael Livingstone commented: "We like to keep an eye out for suitable foster opportunities every year. For example, some pairs are really vital genetically but are known by our teams to be poor at incubating. Instead, these eggs are given to good foster parents that cannot lay eggs themselves, like same-sex pairs and older couples, who have a proven track record of raising healthy chicks.
"The first month is critical for their development and we will be keeping a close eye on our new arrivals as they grow."
Taking to Facebook to share the news, Edinburgh Zoo wrote: "We're so EGGcited to share that our gentoo chicks have started to hatch!
"First to become parents again this year were Muffin and Mittens. The pair welcomed a chick of their own on 3 May and are also fostering a second youngster born on 4 May."
Before long, the post had received more than 1,200 likes and over 200 comments. Fans of the zoo were quick to share their thoughts on the new photos.
One wrote: "Congratulations, such lovely news. I was there on Monday and spent a lot of time enjoying the penguins."
"Muffin and Mittens seem to have parenting down to a science," said a second.
"OMG so cute," a third commented, while a fourth shared: "Amazing news".
The public can keep watch an eye on the zoo's penguins on its free live webcams.
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