Marwell Zoo penguins return to their home after being quarantined following a bird flu outbreak which killed seven

The Humboldt penguins were put in quarantine in December after four of the flightless birds died from the illness and a further four tested positive and so, by law, had to be euthanised.

After extensive work to clean and disinfect their enclosure and ensure the zoo meets its legal requirements, the seven penguins have been able to return to their home in the Penguin Cove.

However, they remain under special care and visitors won’t be able to get as close to the pool as before, or access Penguin Cove Playground, but the penguins can be seen from the main path.

Dan Garrett, birds team leader, said: ‘It’s great to see them back in their enclosure where they can swim properly, feed in the water, and have opportunities to seek shelter in their burrows. They feel safer in the water so it’s obviously of huge benefit to have them back in their pool.

SEE ALSO: Funeral for D-Day veteran to be held in Portsmouth Cathedral

‘Penguins haven’t evolved to stand still, in the wild they spend nine months at sea so they’re used to being on the move all of the time.’

Access to some other attractions at the zoo, between Bishop’s Waltham and Winchester, was also restricted as part of the precautionary measures put in place following the outbreak. These areas have now reopened too, but the Our Energy for Life: Tropical House will stay closed while outstanding maintenance works are completed. They will continue to ask guests to help keep the animals as safe as possible by using foot dips and hand sanitising stations and remaining on marked walkways.

The avian influenza outbreak is not the only time the zoo’s penguins have appeared in the news recently.

Bradley Green, 24, and Nathan Daniels, 21, both from Fareham, admitted breaking into the zoo on February 15, 2021, causing damage and and traumatising the animals. They were sentenced earlier this month to 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £750 compensation each to the zoo. Ellie Fargin, prosecuting, said said a life ring was found in the pool in the penguin enclosure and added: ‘The penguins displayed behaviour consistent with anxiety and distress from being disturbed.’