AssetID: 55720379
Headline: Meet Oasis and Ozzy: Noisy penguin chicks hatch days apart at safari park
Caption: Two endangered Humboldt penguin chicks have hatched just days apart – with keepers naming the noisy pair Oasis and Ozzy after music legends. The fluffy duo have already become vocal stars of Penguin Cove, with guests more likely to hear them before spotting them. Keepers say both chicks are proving to be particularly loud additions to the colony. The names were chosen because all animals born at West Midlands Safari Park in 2026 will have names beginning with the letter “O”. Oasis, the older of the two chicks, hatched on April 1 to four-year-old mum Kris and 11-year-old dad Dumbledore. Ozzy followed on April 9 and is the chick of four-year-old Kendall and 15-year-old Elder. Both chicks spent their first weeks being cared for behind the scenes, but have now started venturing out of their nest boxes into the main penguin habitat. Discovery Trail Keeper Megan Brindley said: “We are extremely excited to announce that Penguin Cove has welcomed the arrival of not one but two penguin chicks! Humbolt Penguins are classed as ‘vulnerable’ with only approximately 20,000 left in the wild, so we are pleased that we have successfully been able to add to the numbers, through the conservation breeding programme. “We don’t know the sex of the chicks yet, but we chose names that will suit either. Oasis is the eldest and their parents are Dumbledore and Kris; Ozzy's parents are Elder and Kendall. They are all being incredible parents and the chicks’ personalities are already coming out. We cannot wait for everyone to meet them!” She added: “Oasis is shy and doesn't stray far from mum and dad, but happily demands food and attention, whereas Ozzy is like their name's sake and has a great set of lungs and loves to loudly chirp in the nest box. “At the moment, both chicks are adorable bundles of grey fluff and are getting bigger every day. As a penguin keeper, having chicks hatch is really the best part of the job.” Humboldt penguins are native to the coasts of Peru and Chile and are currently listed as vulnerable in the wild due to climate change, overfishing and habitat disturbance. The births are part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s Ex situ Programme, which aims to help safeguard the future of the species through conservation breeding.
Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,penguin chicks
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