DENVER – It’s common for children to run to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s Pinnacol African Penguin Point to watch the penguins swim, eat or just waddle around.

The herd consists of 26 penguins. In January, the newest chick – Junior – will be introduced to the public. Junior was born in October and developed a respiratory illness that required several weeks of treatment at the veterinary clinic. The little one recovered and is doing well – a success story for the zoo’s African penguin conservation program.

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance works to conserve this endangered species through a strictly controlled breeding environment. When a female penguin lays an egg, keepers initiate a unique process by replacing the real egg with a wooden one. The penguins don’t know the difference, said zookeeper Travis Garrett.

“They will incubate on it and treat it as if it were a real egg,” Garrett said.

The zoo artificially incubates the real egg so it can control the temperature and monitor its development. Then, once it starts to hatch, they change the eggs again.

“The chick goes back to mom and dad, the mock eggs are removed, the parents raise the chick from there,” Garrett said.

The zoo can also use the same process to remove an egg it doesn’t want to hatch – for example, when closely related penguins are trying to reproduce. The goal is to preserve the best gene pool in case this species moves closer to extinction.

“This is one of the most genetically diverse populations in accredited zoos and aquariums, so they are a good example of how science can work,” Garrett said.

Workers’ compensation insurance company Pinnacol Assurance sponsors the Pinnacol African Penguin Point and highlights the animal in its annual Walk Like a Penguin campaign to promote winter safety. According to Safety Learning Specialist Monica Cabrera, falls account for 40% of the company’s claims.

“It’s really important for people to know how to walk carefully in the winter, and penguins do best when they keep their hands at their sides and maintain balance,” Cabrera said.

She advised staying focused while walking on ice and avoiding carrying too many items or talking on the phone.

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is offering free admission to children 15 and under through the end of 2024.

Inside the Denver Zoo’s African penguin breeding program