SAN FRANCISCO—The annual “March of the Penguins” event will take place at the San Francisco Zoo and Gardens on Saturday, July 30 from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., according to a press release from the zoo. This year two Magellanic chicks will take the walk to join the rest of the penguin colony at Penguin Island.
This ceremony celebrates the two month old penguin chicks’ graduation from “Fish School” to join the other penguins on Penguin Islands. Their graduation means they will lose their fluffy down, learn to swim and accept food from their human keepers. The chicks will make their way around the zoo’s exhibit ending with their dive into the pool at Penguin Island.
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens has the largest and most successful breeding colony of Magellanic penguins in captivity. The zoo has been able to fledge more than 200 chicks since 1985.
“SF Zoo has a longstanding history of breeding and raising penguins,” Rachel Eslick, Marketing Communications Manager for the zoo, told San Francisco News in an email. “Over the last three decades, the numbers add up and continue to grow!”
San Francisco Zoo Members will be able to submit name suggestions for the penguin chicks and one name will be drawn before the ceremony begins. The march will only happen one time and will be quick, so the zoo recommends arriving early. There will also be additional educational exhibits and crafts for children to enjoy.
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens is located at 1 Zoo Road. Guests can park in the main lot and meet in the front lot for transportation to the exhibit. For additional information contact Rachel Eslick at (559) 287-3990 or email at rachele@sfzoo.org.
