News Release
 
Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org
 
April 19, 2019
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Celebrate World Penguin Day at Brookfield Zoo

 
DSC_4976: A young guest gets a hug from a penguin costumed character at Brookfield Zoo's World Penguin Day celebration.

DSC_5240, DSC_5270, DSC_5282: Brookfield Zoo guests have the opportunity meet one of the zoo's Humboldt penguins during the World Penguin Day celebration.

Brookfield, Ill. – Penguin admirers can jump, slide, or waddle their way to Brookfield Zoo on Saturday, April 27, to celebrate World Penguin Day! Activities for the entire family will be taking place between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.—both inside and outside the zoo’s Living Coast exhibit, which is home to Humboldt penguins.
 
To kick off this feather-filled day, the first 1,000 children to arrive at The Living Coast Plaza will receive a color wristband, which will give them the opportunity to discover their banded penguin counterpart in the exhibit’s Rocky Shores habitat. Bands help animal care staff identify each individual bird. Signs posted around the exhibit will serve as an ID guide to help youngsters discover which penguin has the same band color as theirs.

Several of the zoo’s resident penguins are Picassos in the making and have quite the creative side! Zoogoers can meet the special “artists” outdoors at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., weather permitting. The one-of-a-kind pieces of art, created with nontoxic watercolors, will be on display. On the back of each canvas is a photo of the penguin “artist” and his/her footprint signature. The public can enter a random drawing now through Thursday, May 2, at 5:00 p.m. CST for a chance to win a painting. To enter, go to CZS.org/PenguinDay (must be 13 years of age or older). Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on the zoo’s Facebook page and website on Friday, May 3.

Additionally, a pack of five notecards featuring images of the penguins’ creations will be available with a minimum $10 donation. Proceeds go directly towards the Chicago Zoological Society’s Animal Care and Conservation Fund, which helps support efforts like the Chicago Zoological Society’s Punta San Juan penguin program. Located along South America’s west coastline in Peru, Punta San Juan is a reserve where research and community outreach is being conducted to help protect species native to the region, including Humboldt penguins.

Brookfield Zoo’s World Penguin Day aims to celebrate these gregarious birds and to raise awareness about the need for continued conservation efforts to protect them in their native habitat. These messages as well as fun facts about the penguins will be presented by animal care staff during Zoo Chats while the birds are being fed in the Rocky Shores habitat at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Additionally, at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the penguins will be offered different forms of behavioral enrichment, which are items designed to keep Brookfield Zoo’s animals both physically and mentally healthy.
Also, joining the festivities will be volunteer educators, who will engage zoogoers of all ages at their information station by sharing a variety of penguin artifacts. Volunteers also will facilitate the penguin egg shuffle challenge. The activity allows guests to pretend to be penguin parents and walk while trying to balance a plastic egg on their feet. Zoogoers can commemorate this exciting day by greeting and taking a photo with a costumed penguin character!

Those interested in helping care for the Humboldt penguins at Brookfield Zoo can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. For $35, the recipient will receive the program’s Basic Package, which includes a 5-inch x 7-inch color photograph of a penguin, a personalized adoption certificate, a fact sheet about the species, an Animal Adoption car decal, and an invitation to the 2019 Animal Adoption Evening. For further information, visit CZS.org/AnimalAdoption.

World Penguin Day activities are free with zoo admission of $21.95 for adults and $15.95 for children 3 to 11 and seniors 65 and over. Children 2 and under are admitted free. Parking is $14. Brookfield Zoo is located at 8400 31^st Street in Brookfield. For more information about World Penguin Day at Brookfield Zoo, visit CZS.org/Events or call (708) 688-8000.

 
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About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by engaging people and communities with wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. Open every day of the year, the zoo is located at 8400 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and also is accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA and PACE bus service. For further information, visit CZS.org.