Roger Williams Park Zoo is introducing a new penguin exhibit featuring 12 Humboldt penguins, set to open on May 24, 2025.
This marks the return of penguins to the zoo after a 12-year break, making it one of just 24 places in North America where you can see this vulnerable species.
“Most people imagine snow and ice when they think of penguins, but our Humboldt penguins are from the hot, arid coastal regions of Chile and Peru; Humboldt penguins inhabit these coastal regions, favoring rocky environments near nutrient-dense waters,” Rogers Williams Park Zoo shares in a press release.
These penguins stand about 15-18 inches tall and weigh around 9 pounds. They’re built for life on rocky coasts near nutrient-rich waters, where they eat fish, squid, and crustaceans.
Humboldt penguins are facing tough times in the wild. Their numbers have dropped dramatically since the mid-1800s, when there were over a million. Now, they’re considered “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Current estimates show only about 12,000 breeding pairs left. The main threats? Overfishing, getting caught in fishing nets, and climate change.
To help protect these penguins, the zoo is part of the Species Survival Plan®. This program works with accredited zoos and aquariums to coordinate breeding and transfers, keeping the captive population healthy and genetically diverse.