PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

There really is no place like home for the king, macaroni, rockhopper and gentoo penguins living at the Detroit Zoo. A year after more than 80 aquatic birds moved into their new home in the 33,000-square-foot Polk Penguin Conservation Center – the largest facility for penguins in the world – studies show they are thriving.

Staff at the Detroit Zoological Society’s (DZS) Center for Zoo Animal Welfare (CZAW) have been monitoring the penguins since November 2014 as part of an extensive, long-term welfare research project comparing their behavior in their former home, the Penguinarium, to that of the new facility.

“Through the Center for Zoo Animal Welfare, we conduct extensive research to better understand and advance the well-being of all animals living in the care of humans,” said Ron Kagan, DZS executive director and CEO. “Whenever we design a new habitat, we aim to provide an environment that allows the animals to thrive.”

The penguin center was designed with the animals’ well-being in mind, mimicking conditions of the species’ wild home in and near Antarctica and offering dramatically increased space. This includes a 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep, chilled aquatic area that incorporates waves as well as various substrates and elevations for the penguins to explore on land, such as rocky terrain and an area featuring falling snow.

Research shows that, since moving into their new home, the king penguins in particular have increased their use of water tenfold from when they lived in the Penguinarium.

“The new habitat has ten times the amount of water available to the penguins. This is solid evidence that having additional space translates into an increase in species-typical behaviors, and that it has nothing to do with the need to find food or other resources. They simply like to swim and dive,” Kagan said. “This type of long-term study is an incredible opportunity for us to examine a variety of factors that affect the well-being of the Zoo’s individual penguins, and to contribute to the body of knowledge on penguin behavior.”

The penguin center is not only a state-of-the-art facility for the animals living there, but it offers spectacular views for visitors – underwater viewing areas include a 34-foot-wide acrylic window and two acrylic tunnels. The facility also provides guests with interactive educational tools about Antarctic explorers, modern-day researchers and the ecosystems that lie at the bottom of the earth.

Since the unveiling of the penguin center on April 18, 2016, attendance has dramatically increased at the Detroit Zoo, drawing 1,698,053 visitors for the year – nearly 200,000 more than the previous year.

Founded by the DZS in 2009, the Center for Zoo Animal Welfare is a resource center for captive animal welfare knowledge, research and best practices; a convener and forum for exotic animal welfare science, practice and policy discussions; and a center conducting research and training, and recognizing advances in exotic animal welfare.

The world’s foremost leaders in animal welfare will convene at the Detroit Zoo May 4-6, 2017, for CZAW’s fourth International Animal Welfare Symposium. The conference is presented this year in partnership with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, visit www.czaw.org.