A zoo in the grounds of a Georgian mansion in East Yorkshire is celebrating the arrival of a penguin chick – the third grandchild of one of the world’s oldest Humboldt penguins.
Although the eight-week-old chick was born on Easter Monday at Sewerby Hall and Gardens, it will be a few more weeks before visitors to the zoo, near Bridlington, will be able to see the new arrival.
The chick is still being cared for by proud parents Twinnie and Sigsbee and won’t leave the nest until it has lost its baby feathers, grown juvenile plumage, and is big enough to explore the wider world.
Keepers have also been unable to tell if the new arrival is male or female, so until they can confirm its sex, the chick is without a name, but visitors are being encouraged to make suggestions on Sewerby Hall & Gardens’ Facebook page.
Humboldt penguins are classed as vulnerable to extinction, so the chick – the third to be born at Sewerby – is being celebrated by zookeepers as part of conservation efforts.
The new chick‘s grandmother, Rosie, is believed to be the world’s oldest Humboldt after living at the zoo for more than 30 years, gaining a worldwide following before she died in her sleep aged 32 in 2023.
The zoo sits in the grounds of Grade 1 listed Sewerby Hall, set within 50 acres of early 19th Century parkland on a dramatic clifftop position with spectacular views over Bridlington.
Home to domestic and wild animals including pygmy goats from Africa and llamas from South America, among animal encounter experiences on offer is the chance to meet the Humboldt Penguins, learn more about the colony and hand-feed them.
For more about Sewerby Hall Zoo, visit www.sewerbyhall.co.uk/zoo/
For general tourist information on East Yorkshire as a destination, see www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk
Photo, above: Sewerby Hall Zoo.
Below, Sewerby Hall and Gardens
