African penguins will be settling into their new home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park has welcomed African penguins for the first time.
07 August 2026
Twenty African penguins have arrived at the Park as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. African penguins are the only critically endangered penguin of the 18 species worldwide.
The colony includes ten males and ten females, with established pairs including Joe and Houdini, Max and Samantha, Sid and Natalie, Gwyn and Rachel, and Salty and Little Min.
The penguins will this weekend settle into their brand-new £1.2 million habitat, complete with a large pool after marching a short distance from their quarantine house along the path to their new home.
Director of Animals, Dr Charlotte MacDonald said: “It’s will be fantastic to see the penguins settling into their new home.
“They’ve settled in really well since arriving, and it’s fantastic to see them exploring their new surroundings.
“African penguins are fantastic birds with lots of character, and we know they’re going to be a real favourite with visitors. They are also known as Jackass penguins because of their loud braying call.
“Sadly, this species of penguin was changed from endangered to critically endangered status earlier this year. They’re facing huge challenges in the wild and conservation breeding programmes like this are incredibly important for the future of the species.
“We hope their arrival will help more people understand the threats they face and inspire them to support the penguin conservation.”
The habitat has been specially designed for the species, featuring a 552 cubic metre pool holding 552,000 litres of water with a maximum depth of two metres.
Inspired by South Africa’s famous Boulders Beach, the habitat includes large rocks, a pebble beach, grassed areas and banks and nesting areas built into the rockwork.
Visitors can soon enjoy watching the penguins ‘fly’ through the water at high speeds with 33 metres of underwater viewing through 12 glass viewing panels.
The habitat also features an advanced filtration system that continuously recycles the pool water, with only waste being discharged.
Now classified as critically endangered, scientists predict that African penguins could become extinct in the wild by 2035 if current population declines continue.
Their biggest threats include habitat loss, climate change, pollution, reduced fish stocks and predation.
The penguins have joined Yorkshire Wildlife Park as part of the European breeding programme, which works with zoos and parks across Europe to support long-term conservation. They are the only bird species at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park works closely with the WildLife Foundation to support conservation projects protecting wildlife both in the UK and overseas.
Visitors can learn more about African penguins through twice-daily ranger talks and educational displays at the new habitat which opens this weekend.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which puts conservation at the heart of all its activities, offers visitors a mesmerising walk-through experience coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and at-risk species, including Polar Bears, Black Rhinos, Giraffes and African Painted Dogs.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Resort also boasts The Hex Wildlife Hotel and The Yorkshire Hive, the shopping, dining and entertainment village.
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