Single Penguin Mom

Zurita: A mature female penguin from Oregon Zoo, where she was hand-raised. She will be 15 years old in August. Her mate died five years ago. She has been single ever since.

Gazpacho: A very young male penguin, born and hand-raised here at Brookfield Zoo. He lives in the same penguin colony as Zurita in The Living Coast exhibit.

Chick (unnamed): The once-tiny bird now weighs 2 kg and is coming out of the nest box, which is very early for this behavior developmentally...

Keepers: Observed the drama and stepped in to help Zurita care for her chick to give it a fighting chance.

The Plot:

Zurita was ready for a new man…or bird…

Cupid had not been kind to the 14-year-old penguin. Humboldt penguins mate for life, and she was seeking a new partner five years after the death of her previous mate.

Unfortunately, in her colony, it was hard to find a good male penguin. Most were already coupled and the only available males were either very young or very old. So, instead she began to pay her attention to a male who already had a mate. Not surprisingly, the other female reacted with aggression toward Zurita. The female was just fighting to keep her man.

This drama is not unusual among the penguins in The Living Coast. “It’s breeding season. It gets weird around here during breeding season…” said senior keeper Gail Brandt.

Squabbles erupt among the large group of birds regularly. However, the fallout that resulted in Zurita’s case was very unusual. It has taught keepers new ways to manage these endangered sea birds. And, even more importantly, it has revealed penguin behaviors rarely, if ever, witnessed by researchers in zoos or in the wild.

Keepers moved Zurita to an alternative behind-the-scenes holding area while the ruckus over her rivalry cooled. Since penguins are colonial birds, she would need another bird to keep her company. Gazpacho, a sixteen-month-old male, was chosen to join her.

An unusual romance ensued…and history may have been made!

Story Continued---Next page