THE arrival of four new penguin chicks at a Colwyn Bay Zoo have set hearts a-flutter. 

Tiny Humboldt penguin chicks made their first initial waddles out of the nest at the Welsh Mountain Zoo. The four chicks – that have not yet been named – hatched over a two week period to mums Waddles, Fluffy and Yoshi and dads, Ziggy, Shell and Pudding. The “feathered cuties” are said to be doing “incredibly well”; zoo keepers have been keeping a watchful eye. 

Jamie Toffrey, marketing officer at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “We are all thrilled by the arrival of our new feathered friends who are already much loved here at the Zoo.

“The early days and weeks of their arrival is always a nervous time but these hatchlings have developed and grown well and their prospects are really positive.”

The Zoo has a long history of keeping penguins dating back over four decades. 

The attraction currently has 20 penguins housed at the zoo plus the four new chicks. 

Jamie added: “We’ve housed penguins here for many years and have incredibly experienced keepers here for support. Our group is growing steadily.”

Michelle Pywell, head keeper, said: “It is heart-warming that we have continued our success with breeding Humboldt penguins. 

“Luckily our breeding pairs are now very experienced and we do not need to intervene by hand rearing. We do not interfere. All we do is offer food to the parent in the burrow who is incubating the eggs three times a day and when the chick hatches we take a hatch weight which is around 65-80 grams. We will weigh the chick again at three days old, by then if everything is going well then they will have doubled their weight to 130-160 grams.”

Visitors will soon be able to see the new penguins as they start to venture out into the pool area.