Valentine's Day

Sheep and Possum are the Couple all penguins want to be! They have been a pair since they came over to Melbourne from Kelly Tarltons in New Zealand over 10 years ago. They are real Penguins Penguins , Not worried about socialising with keepers or flirting with other potential suitors , they only have eyes for each other. Sheep and Possum have successfully raised a chick almost every breeding season, Their most recent being “kiwi”.

Bilby was a bit of a loner, preferring to spend his time swimming and not too fussed on socialising with other birds his age. However when Pocket started showing interest Bilby quickly came out of his shell and these two make the most adorable high school sweethearts. They we’re an excellent pair, regularly swapping nest duties and both collecting pebbles. We hope Bilby and Pocket will find their way to each other again next year and can have a successful breeding season.

Blake is our biggest male King penguin and Matilda is our smallest female King penguin which makes them an adorable couple. Blake is a bit of a ladies man and will flirt with every penguin that comes within a 1 metre range of him. This doesn’t seem to bother Matilda as she wins back her man almost every year and they are great parents. Blake often takes on the most responsibility, letting Matilda have lots of days off to pamper herself. Blake is a great teacher and will often take other chicks under his wing (pun intended) and teach them how to swim. Captured below Is a photo of Blake and Matilda with their latest chick , Odin.

Apple and Pyke have felt the strain of a long term relationship and are taking a modern spin on monogamy and have opted for an open relationship. Apple is free to spend time with her much younger boyfriend while Pyke has won over the affections of a younger female as well. This means they don’t stay together every year , however they are often seen being overly friendly and still nest together on occasion. They are very successful in raising chicks and are the most polite couple, we really hope they come back together this year.

Zeus and Roger are nester extraordinaries. They easily collect the most pebbles of any other gentoo couple, showing just how much they want to impress their partner. Zeus and Roger’s nest is always over flowing with pebbles and feathers and scrubbing brushes , basically whatever they can find during the morning clean that will help make their nest complete. Zeus protects her eggs and chicks like the strong goddess her name implies, while Rodger is constantly reorganising the nest logistics and trying to make improvements. We love Zeus and Rodger as a couple almost as much as they love their pebbles.