Sunday 4 December 2016

Sunday Snap – Penguin Parade

We were looking skywards for last week's Sunday Snap of The Monument. I asked which famous event it was built to commemorate and the answer is

The Great Fire of London

Aiming high with the right answer were Kara, Sylvia, Erica, Cass and Jen.

We're off to the zoo for this week's Sunday Snap. In 1950 a keeper left a door in the penguin enclosure open. Seizing the opportunity to break free a gentoo penguin led a group of his mates out of the enclosure and walked out of the zoo! The event became so talked about that the zoo decided to make it a regular feature - under supervised conditions of course! Now each day at 2.15pm the door of penguin enclosure, known as Penguins Rock, is opened and the penguins are allowed to walk out if they want to. The zoo does make it very clear that the penguins only come out on their own accord and are not enticed in any way or offered any food. On the day we were there we thought no penguins were wanting to come out but one decided to have a walkabout. Apparently he was a regular and confident parader who went by the name of 'The Count'. He came down the path, inspected his subjects and went straight back into Penguin Rock via the second entrance.

The zoo has a long association with penguins. It was the first zoo in the world to house and bred penguins. In 1913 it was given its first king penguins. They were a gift of the Norwegian family of Christian Salvesen. It also has one penguin that holds a military rank. The penguin, known as Sir Nils Olav (he was kinghted by the King of Norway King, Harald V in 2008!) was named after Major Nils Egelian (who arranged his adoption in 1972) and the then King of Norway, King Olav. He was assigned the role of mascot to the Norwegian Guard and was originally given the title of Corporal. Since then he has risen up the ranks and is now Brigadier.

The zoo is also the only zoo in the UK to have giant pandas. This week's question is

Which zoo has the Penguin Parade?

We were joined last week by Susan and her little Anna and some beautiful sunsets. Kara was at an empty beach and on the rooftops with Rudolf. Down by the river Sophie was spotting otters. Finally in New Zealand Betty has been sharing the beauty of the ocean.

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Sunday Snap

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9 comments:

  1. I have no idea but I want to visit!

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  2. Edinburgh Zoo, I'd love to see it. We have Gentoo Penguins at our Sea Life Centre in Birmingham and they are so lovely and majestic I could sit and watch them all day.

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  3. What a fantastic thing to see - it's Edinburgh zoo (but I went to google to find out more !)

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  4. I have been here many a time and as a child visiting with the school, one of the penguins walking past bit my finger. It is Edinburgh zoo xx

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  5. Oh what a cute penguin! Such a beautiful creatures they are :)

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  6. Edinburgh Zoo :) I love going to see the penguins and the parade is too adorable!!

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  7. I love the idea that the penguins can come out and have a wonder around, so great. It's Edinburgh zoo. Mich x

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  8. I never knew that about the pengiuns, but the only zoo In know that has Pandas in the UK is Edinburgh

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  9. It must be Edinburgh as they're the only zoo to have pandas x x

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