Lincoln Park Zoo to close penguin house, move penguins until new exhibit opens
BY SUN-TIMES STAFF September 22, 2011 11:40AM
Lincoln Park Zoo will be shipping out all of its penguins indefinitely and closing its popular penguin house while it raises money for and builds a new one. A rockhopper penquin waves his wings at the Blum-Kovler Penquin and Seabird habitat. . | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times
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Updated: November 10, 2011 5:02PM
The Lincoln Park Zoo is looking for new homes for its penguin and seabird population in anticipation of closing the 30-year-old Kovler Penguin-Seabird House sometime in the future.
Zoo staff are concerned about the long-term viability of some of the temperature control equipment in the facility and are planning a new exhibit in its place, zoo officials said in a statement.
The zoo wants to move the more than 60 penguins and puffins during the winter because it is easier on the animals. The penguins and seabirds should be back for the new exhibit.
Zoo CEO Kevin Bell said in a statement that he was “just as excited today about our plans for creating the next great state-of-the-art animal habitat in that space as I was several decades ago when we laid the groundwork for the penguin house.”
The penguin exhibit will remain open until all the birds have been moved.
