Today is Penguin Awareness Day, when we highlight the popular black and white bird. Sit back and enjoy another mini lesson with Conservation Officer, Chris Leeson, as he teaches us all about Humboldts… If you’d like us to cover something for an upcoming school topic, then let us know!
The zoo might be silent of excited visitor chatter, but there’s still plenty of animal sounds to hear each day. And our 70-strong Humboldt penguin colony are certainly one of the noisiest species on site! Penguins communicate by vocalising, with Humboldts making three different call sounds. The birds have specialised throat structures which … Continue reading Penguins calling
We’ve got exciting news from our Birds section with the hatching of a rare Victoria crowned pigeon. Just months after the arrival of a male for our resident female, as part of an EAZA managed studbook breeding programme, the pair have had their first successful hatch – and the chick is already starting to have … Continue reading Rare chick hatches
There’s a real chill in the air these days, but we’ve got a variety of species on site who love the cold weather. Many of these animals are specially adapted to cope with the freezing temperatures in their natural habitats around the globe. And winter’s a great time at the zoo to come and see … Continue reading Cold loving animals!
A little bird’s told us Senior Keeper Kriss Pearson has been awarded our Employee of the Month! The bird keeper, who this month marks his 10th year working at DZC, was awarded a certificate and gift vouchers and commended by the management team for his work helping the Media and Marketing Department. Marketing Manager Andrea … Continue reading Congrats Kriss!
Our female Victoria Crowned pigeon has a very special birthday present, with the arrival of a male suitor! The pigeon, who’s four today, has been joined in Lorikeet Lookout by a five-year-old male from Frankfurt Zoo in Germany – pictured above – and it seems love might already be in the air! Section Leader Nicola … Continue reading Birds pair up!
Keepers at Dudley Zoo and Castle are busy counting heads as part of the annual animal stocktake. It’s the time of year when zoos throughout the country are legally required to tot up every invertebrate, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian, but with more than 200 species at the Midlands-based attraction, it’s easier said than done, … Continue reading Counting conundrum!
We’re sending congratulations to Bird Keeper Jess Jones, who’s top of the flock after being named employee of the month. Jess was awarded a certificate and gift vouchers after receiving fantastic feedback from a college group, who purposely phoned the zoo to praise her following their visit. Zoo Manager Matt Lewis said: “We received a … Continue reading Jess is top of the flock!
We’ve got a special treat for you this Halloween – meet Maximus, our really scary six week-old Burrowing Owl! Bird Keepers stepped in to rescue the chick at two weeks-old after finding him in a flooded burrow following recent heavy rainfall. Birds Section Leader Nicola Wright, said: “The chick was being parent reared, but they’d … Continue reading Trick or treat…
We’re singing from the rooftops in thanks to YOU for helping us achieve a silver award for contributing more than €3,000 to save Asian songbirds from extinction. For the last two years we’ve been raising funds and awareness for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation campaign ‘Silent Forest, Asian Songbird Crisis’, which … Continue reading Singing from the rooftops!
