Penguin Parenting Season Has Arrived! Come See Their Special Appearance at Non Hoi Park!

At the Toyohashi Zoo & Botanical Park (Non Hoi Park) in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, we house four species of penguins: King, Southern Rockhopper, Gentoo, and Humboldt penguins.

On May 4th and 5th, Southern Rockhopper penguin chicks were born, followed by a Gentoo penguin chick on May 8th! They are currently busy with parenting.

Inside the Polar Animals House, in a cold exhibition room that mimics the climate of Antarctica, the Southern Rockhopper, Gentoo, and King penguins 'live together'.

The Southern Rockhopper penguin inhabits the South American continent, including Argentina and Chile. It is characterized by yellow decorative feathers extending from above its eyes to the back of its head. On land, it moves by hopping with both feet together.

Southern Rockhopper penguins prefer flat areas surrounded by cliffs or rocky areas as breeding grounds. The chicks fledge in about 65 to 75 days, and after becoming adults, they molt into new feathers. At Non Hoi Park, we have 12 of them, excluding the chicks.

The Gentoo penguin is a medium-sized penguin, about 50-90 cm in total length. It is characterized by a white band that runs across the top of its head, connecting the areas above each eye. The appearance of males and females is similar, but the female is slightly smaller. At Non Hoi Park, we have 34 of them, excluding the chick.

They usually lay two eggs, and both parents take turns incubating them for about 35 days. For about a month after the eggs hatch, the parents take turns caring for them. After that, the chicks form a group of young individuals called a crèche and receive food from their parents until they fledge.

The Gentoo penguin chick is not currently visible as its nest is in a location not seen from the viewing path, but please look forward to it, as it will start to come out of the nest about a month after hatching.

Don't miss the penguins' mealtime scene!

During 'mealtime,' you can watch the penguins waddling after the keepers for fish, and see them swiftly catching fish underwater. They eat horse mackerel and shishamo (smelt) every day around 3:00 PM.

In the exhibit next to the penguins, the spotted seal exhibit, you can see them eating horse mackerel, sardines, and Atka mackerel every day around 1:10 PM.

A zoo where over 140 species of animals live

At Non Hoi Park, over 800 animals of more than 140 species live, including mammals like lions and elephants, and birds like flamingos and penguins. Among them are animals rare in Japan, such as the Sumatran orangutan and the black wallaroo, as well as endangered species like the Oriental stork, the mountain hawk-eagle, and the mandrill. Please come and meet our many animals!