Zoo gives penguins pedicures to stop mix-ups

A zoo has given its penguin chicks a "delightful pedicure" as a "creative and colourful" way of telling them apart.

One chick from each pair of newborn Magellanic penguins at Blackpool Zoo has had blue nail varnish painted on their claws to ensure keepers "can accurately record health checks, weight and developmental progress", a representative said.

Senior keeper Jason Keller said the move was necessary as it was "easy to confuse them, especially with multiple chicks in some nest boxes and markings that are very similar".

"Painting the toenails... means we can be sure we are recording all their information correctly," he added.

The chicks recently hatched at the zoo's expanded Penguin Cove area, which saw a new sanded beach area added in 2024 and the number of nest boxes increased from six to 11.

The zoo representative said the cove was home to 10 males and 13 female Magellanic penguins, a species native to the coasts of Argentina and Chile.

They said the gender of the chicks would be confirmed when feather samples were analysed at the age of about 12 weeks old.

"Once this is confirmed they will be named and have an ID band fitted for identification," the representative said.

"They will also start to slowly explore the pool around this time, with their parents teaching them how to swim."

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