New Zealand is the penguin capital of the world, home to nine of the 16 species of living penguins, so it was fitting that it should host the world’s first ‘Penguathlon’.
The event running this month at the Kelly Tarlton Arctic Encounter in Orakei, just outside Auckland, sees King and Gentoo penguins go beak to beak in five icy events – football, Frisbee, surfing, swing ball and waddle races.
But the Penguathalon is about more than just delighting visitors. It showcases a variety of the enrichment activities developed by the curatorial team to ensure the physical, mental and emotional well being of the birds in its 80-strong colony.
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Visitors can take part in their own special penguin inspired games with children donning their own giant penguin feet to compete in waddle races.
“New Zealand has the greatest diversity of penguin species and is arguably the best place in the world to see them. As well as being great fun, the Penguathlon gives people a fantastic chance to get up close with them as well as gaining a better understanding about their welfare”, said Gregg Anderson, Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager for UK and Europe.
Kelly Tarlton’s have been looking after penguins for fifteen years, since the opening of its Antarctic Encounter in 1994. It remains the only colony of sub-Antarctic penguins in New Zealand.
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