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Penguins can be bullies! They pushed this one into the water.
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All the times I went through the bird house, I never knew that we have a single mammal living in there. A two-toed tree sloth! I think she said his name is Eliott? It starts with an 'E' and has a 'T' in it I know, as she made reference to the movie ET and remembering his name. He is not social, and generally does not come down when people are in the exhibit.
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The kitchen area, where all of the birds diets are managed.
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They also make creative feeding thingies for some of the birds, especially the Kea (from New Zealand). I saw one in the wild a few years back, on my trip to New Zealand. They do this because the birds are intelligent and it stimulates their minds.
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We sat down in the room, and shortly after, Mattie (Matty?) walked in! She is a 5 year old penguin, and the only one they consider suitable for in-person viewings like this, because she was raised from a chick by zoo staff. The other penguins they consider safe, but slightly unpredictable, so they don't allow them for visitation.
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Penguins are very curious creatures. They were described in the same context as cats. We were told she would walk in, and start making the rounds surveying everything. We had to hide our camera bags, because any opening or chance to explore would be taken.
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We were told we could pet Mattie too. As long as she sees your hand, you are fine. You can pet her on her back, but again, make sure she sees you doing this and there are no problems. If you suddenly pet her on the back without warning, she may not like it.
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How do you keep a penguin occupied for hours? Give her something to chew on or go after. In this case, a camera leash.
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This is Eric, one of the four in our group. He loves penguins, and knew more about them than our guide I think. He was also a bit shocked when Mattie jumped up at his face. Eric didn't immediately put it together, but she was after his hat.
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We were warned that our shoelaces were fair game, especially if a bright color.
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This is a demonstration piece, where you can see a real penguin egg versus a wooden one, that they use to fool penguins (and all other birds). Often times, if there are problems, they will remove the egg from the mother and take it to their incubation chamber. They replace the egg with a wooden one while this happens, so the mother isn't upset. One bird at the zoo currently sits on 13 eggs. 5 of them are wood, as the real ones were not fertile despite attempts to incubate them.
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Mattie likes being scratched under her chin.
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Mattie also likes taste-testing just about everything.
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SHE'S COMING RIGHT FOR ME
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Penguins are shifty characters! Ok, not so much. They keep a metal detector handy because ignorant humans throw coins in the penguin exhibit, and sometimes penguins eat them. If they are small coins, they may pass naturally. If not, they require surgery.
NEVER THROW COINS INTO AN EXHIBIT AT A ZOO
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Mattie wanted to taste-test my fingers.
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The right noises, like a firm piece of paper being rustled repeatedly, will get her attention.
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Here I am thinking about the odds of me making it if I scooped her up and bolted for the door.
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Me passing off the "Penguin Attraction Apparatus" to someone else.
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At the Denver Zoo, the bands on the flippers are very revealing. On the right side, it is a male. On the left, a female. Why? Zoo keepers joke that "males always think they are right". The colors indicate bonded pairs or families.
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Mom, Dad, and Junior. Notice the matching colors on the flippers.