Bournemouth Oceanarium welcomes penguin sibling duo
The pair have been adopted by a penguin couple in the beach enclosure
Bournemouth's Oceanarium has announced the arrival of two Humboldt penguin chicks at its 'Penguin Beach Encounter'.
Diego and Zorro, a penguin couple at the flagship aquarium, have adopted the pair after fostering five chicks throughout their 10-year relationship.
The chicks' gender is currently yet to be confirmed as it requires DNA testing, but is set to welcome visitors when the test results have been received.
Amber Cookson, penguin keeper at Oceanarium Bournemouth, said: "We're delighted to introduce our chicks to Penguin Beach.
"The two have such fun and playful personalities that our visitors are going to love getting to know the pair.
"They'll be easy to spot as they have a greyish coat of feathers while they're young, which is distinctive from the rest of our penguins.
"We have a lively bunch of characters in our Penguin Beach colony, and it's been a joy to see these siblings exploring their home and getting to know everyone."
Humboldt penguins are native to Chile and Peru in South America, and are classed as a 'vulnerable' species, with the wildlife population declining due to various threats.
Ms Cookson added: "Conservation is central to everything we do at the Oceanarium, and the arrival of our siblings mark a successful milestone in our ongoing breeding programme that supports this vulnerable species."