Two Humboldt penguins that recently hatched at Woodland Park Zoo represented the first chicks of the zoo’s penguin breeding season. However, if not for the sharp eyes of a little boy, the second egg might have perished.
The zoo hopes to find this little hero to properly thank him for his keen observation and help in rescuing the egg. If anyone knows this mystery boy, please contact the zoo by emailing: woodlandparkzoopr@zoo.org.
On April 3, while the first egg was hatching, a young boy enjoying the penguin exhibit alerted the keeper that he could see an egg on a cliff. The keeper, Celine Pardo, immediately followed the boy’s instructions and scooped up the egg. The egg was rushed indoors and relocated under a pair of foster parents. It hatched on April 5.
By the time Pardo rescued the egg and returned to the exhibit to personally thank the boy, he had already left the exhibit. The boy is described as 7 or 8 years old with blonde, curly hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt and was extremely polite.
“We are so grateful to this little boy for helping us save this precious bird,” said Pardo. “If a crow or seagull had scooped up the egg, it would have been a goner. We’d like to find him and extend an invitation to go behind the scenes to meet the chick and help name it. This story of this chick shows how visitors of all ages can help support the care of animals at the zoo and, in this case, help save an endangered animal.”
