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First egg in 17 years
Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland is celebrating the arrival of its first king penguin egg in 17 years, laid on August 14 by female king penguin Connie.
“The egg was laid on August 14 by female king penguin Connie”
The egg was laid in the early hours of Friday, August 14, and keepers said they had not expected the pair to produce an egg until 2027 at the earliest.
The lucky father is Major General Sir Nils Olav III, described as the world’s highest-ranking penguin, and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said the surprise delighted keepers.
When king penguins lay a single egg, it takes around 55 days to hatch, and parents keep the egg warm by balancing it on their feet and covering it with a fold of skin.
Military mascot and keepers
Major General Sir Nils Olav is the mascot and colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian King’s Guard, a title that has been held by three king penguins residing at Edinburgh Zoo since 1972.
STV News said the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland wasn’t expecting the penguins, who arrived in January, to begin laying eggs until 2027, but the egg’s arrival has delighted keepers.
Darren McGarry, head of animal care at RZSS, said: "It was a lovely surprise to find a king penguin egg for the first time in almost two decades."
Michael Livingstone, senior keeper at RZSS, added: "We could not be more excited for Connie and Sir Nils."
Cautious optimism ahead
Edinburgh Zoo said it is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a chick hatching, but that there is still a long way to go.
“"They are inexperienced parents-to-be so we will keep a close eye on them."”
The Herald reported that the last king penguin chick to hatch at Edinburgh Zoo arrived in 2009, making the latest egg an important moment for the zoo’s penguin colony.
Edinburgh Zoo’s own post described the moment as “EGGCITING NEWS FROM PENGUINS ROCK 🥚 King penguin Connie has laid an egg... and none other than Major General Sir Nils Olav is the dad🎖️🐧”.
The Times of India said the zoo will closely monitor the pair because both are inexperienced parents-to-be, with Livingstone saying: "They are inexperienced parents-to-be so we will keep a close eye on them."