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Cape penguins are celebrities of sorts at KYOTO AQUARIUM. On rugged hills, they make visitors smile as they leisurely gaze at a fixed point and take care of their chicks. Once in the water, however, they treat visitors to a dynamic swimming performance. Leisurely on land, speedy underwater: this stark contrast is not to be missed.
Not all penguins live in Antarctica
When thinking of penguins, you might assume that penguins live in cold places like Antarctica. Surprising as this may sound, many penguins live in warm climates. Cape penguins, the penguins at KYOTO AQUARIUM, are native to southern Africa and are distinguished by pink glands at the base of their beaks. These glands are used to regulate the penguin’s body temperature. They show how Cape penguins have adapted to warm climates.
Designing a smaller land space to allow the penguins to use wave energy to come onshore
The land portion of the penguin exhibit has been deliberately designed to be small, in order to make it more difficult for penguins to come onshore. This step is actually intended to facilitate the development of penguins given their characteristics, rather than simply making life harder for them. Because of the smaller space, penguins learn to leap onshore using wave energy. Don’t miss the penguins as they work hard to come onshore!
Supporting the mating of penguins by installing sandboxes
KYOTO AQUARIUM has installed sandboxes for penguins. These sandboxes actually play an important role in promoting mating behavior. It is the male penguin’s job to build a nest. Male penguins win female penguins over by building attractive nests. In order to give their mates a larger nest, the male Cape penguins build nests by gathering branches from various places, and digging holes in the sand.
