Penguin Animal Experience
Want to make friends with a penguin? It’s easy. Just bring fish! Come and feed our cheeky colony of Humboldt penguins and get to know these characterful little birds. You’ll get to hand feed our penguins in their habitat – a fun activity the whole family (penguin and human) can enjoy.
- 30-minute experience
- Includes full day’s admission
- Family experience for ages 12+
- Fully guided tour and talk
Our family penguin experience is for ages twelve-plus and at least one participating adult must accompany any children. You’ll be introduced to the gang and get the chance to feed them some fish. Some will take the fish directly from your hand and some prefer you to throw it! But don’t worry, our Education team will show you how and give you lots of fun penguin facts.
Each individual is different, and you’ll get to know all the characters. Most of our penguins are very friendly, but (top tip) make sure you keep some extra fish for our oldest pair Forest and Pete – they’re fussier about who they take a shine to!
This is a very exclusive experience for our guests as the penguins are only fed by the public once a day, by a maximum of four people. This is to ensure the animals stay nice and relaxed and aren’t overwhelmed by too many visitors.
Gloves will be provided but please wear suitable shoes as you will be in wet, possibly slippy, areas.
Penguin politics
Penguins are monogamous and live in close-knit family groups called colonies. And, like all families, there can be squabbles. Sometimes they will even leave their mate for a younger, fitter model! For all the latest scandal and gossip down at penguin central, read on…
Can you spot who's who?
Humbolt penguins can be identified by the spots on their chests. Each pattern is unique to each individual. But, to make things easier, we give each penguin an armband to wear on their flipper – females wear their band on the right, males on the left and paired couples wear the same colour.
Monzy
This penguin is known for gobbling all the grub. Monzy came to Blair Drummond in 2018 as a mate for Pete. Unfortunately, she has an annoying habit of stealing food, sometimes right out of other penguins’ mouths. Rude! Pete didn’t like this and got together with Bertie instead.
Forest
Forest is one of our oldest penguins at 21 years old, and she's sometimes a bit suspicious when people enter her habitat for the first time. So keep an eye out for this occasionally grumpy grandma.
Nugget, Bubba & Rossco
Say hello to the babies of the group. Our three youngest birds were born in 2024. Bubba was already bigger than his mum Forest by the time he turned 2 months old. The chicks are all adult-sized now, but you can recognise younger birds by the grey feathers around their face and necks.
Skipper & Mola Mola
We’ve recently welcomed two new male penguins, Skipper and Mola Mola, from Twycross Zoo in the Midlands. We hope that they’ll partner with some of our single ladies. (Our money’s on Skipper, who is definitely the muscle-man of the group!)
Penguin conservation
Humboldt penguins are listed as a Vulnerable species. Their numbers have decreased by nearly 85% in the last 40 years. Over-fishing of their favourite food – anchovies – is one of the main threats they face. In fact, over-fishing is a big threat to all marine life.
Check your fishy facts
One thing you can do to help penguins and other species that rely on marine habitats, is to check the fish you buy in the supermarket. Always look at the logos on the packaging to see if your fish is from sustainably managed stocks.
Did you know?
Penguins can swim at 25 mph!
Spending about 75% of their time in the water, penguins are really excellent swimmers. They shoot through the water using their wings as flippers and can hold their breath for a really long time. They also have brilliant underwater eyesight – helping them to catch lots of fish.
When you visit, our Education team will give you lots of fun facts about the penguins, but if you want to find out more beforehand, you can visit our info page below.
Important Information
If you keep poultry at home, please get in touch with us before booking your visit. This helps us take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both your birds and ours.
Pregnant women and those who have recently given birth are not able to take part in any of our experiences until at least six months after giving birth.
If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact us before making your booking so we can ensure your experience is tailored to your needs.
Since the penguin experience is a brand-new addition to the park, we’re running a limited trial, and vouchers will only be valid until the end of June 2025.
