10 rare baby penguin chicks have hatched at Chester Zoo, and one of them has some rather unique parents.
The rare new arrivals are highly-threatened Humboldt penguins, which is one of the most at-risk out of the world’s 17 species of penguin, and began hatching from their eggs throughout April, but since then, they have spent their first few weeks of life tucked away in their nest burrows.
Humboldt penguins – which are ound on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile – are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as they face a number of threats in the wild, including climate change, overfishing, and rising ocean temperatures.
Commonly with penguins, both mum and dad share feeding and parenting duties.
Keepers at Chester Zoo support the parents by providing plenty of extra fish, which the adult penguins swallow, blend into a protein-rich soup, and then regurgitate to feed the chicks.
ADVERTISEMENT
But in what is a heartwarming development, one of the chicks is being raised by a same-sex penguin couple, Scampi and Flounder, as the devoted duo were seen to step in to help raise one of two eggs laid by another penguin pair, Wotsit and Peach.
The zoo’s bird experts carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging, and now keepers say the chicks are just ‘days away’ from taking the plunge into their very first swimming lessons at the zoo’s Penguin Island habitat.
ADVERTISEMENT
10 rare Humboldt penguins have hatched at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
As part of a long-standing zoo tradition, conservationists pick a different naming theme for the chicks each year, and this year’s cohort have been named after stars and celestial wonders – with some of the chicks being Ursa, Alcyone, Orion, Dorado, and Cassiopeia.
“10 chicks hatching in one season marks a bumper year for the penguins here,” commented Zoe Sweetman, who is the Team Manager of Penguins at Chester Zoo.
“It’s fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme. The fluffy new arrivals are all being looked after brilliantly by their parents, having nearly quadrupled in size since they first emerged.
“They’re now days away from a really exciting milestone – their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
Cheshire
The North West’s most mesmerising festive light trail will return to Dunham Massey next month
Daisy Jackson
A magical illuminated trail will make its return to the historic Dunham Massey this winter, once again filling the grounds with twinkling lights and dazzling installations.
Christmas at Dunham Massey has become one of the North West’s most popular festive light trails, created by award-winning light trail producers and taking place annually at the National Trust site in Greater Manchester.
For 2025, there’ll be brand-new installations, like ‘Fish Are Jumping’, where points of light will leap like fish over the lake, in a mesmerising dance.
Visitors will walk through multicoloured landscapes of laser beams, while a projection on the facade of the historic house at Dunham Massey will narrate festive stories.
You’ll also be able to marvel at installations like ‘Field of Stars’ where colour-changing stars more than five metres high glow overhead; ‘Crocus Lawn’, filled with larger-than-life glowing flowers; and ‘Pixel Trees’, a cluster of Christmas trees made from thousands of LEDs.
Credit: Luke DysonChristmas at Dunham MasseyIt’s one of the North West’s most dazzling light trails. Credit: Luke DysonChristmas at Dunham Massey is returning in 2025. There’ll a fairground
There’ll also be a large triangular geometric light show, enhanced by an atmospheric haze, that will provide a dramatic moment on the trail.
And beloved elements returning to Christmas at Dunham Massey this year will include the iconic tunnel of lights, huge illuminated flowers, and appearances from Father Christmas himself.
Beyond the installations, there’s even a festive fairground you can enjoy.
Festive food on offer at Christmas at Dunham Massey
Once you’ve had your fill of this dazzling light trail, there are seasonal treats available from hand-picked street food vendors, like spiced winter drinks and rich hot chocolates, plus marshmallows you can toast over an open fire.
This year’s Christmas at Dunham Massey will kick off from Thursday 13 November and will run all the way through Christmas to Sunday 4 January 2026.
Advance booking is strongly advised as this is one of the region’s most popular festive events, and runs with a limited capacity.
Chester Zoo celebrates birth of UK’s only fossa pups in boost for ‘rare species’
Emily Sergeant
Conservationists at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of the UK’s only fossa pups in what is a huge boost for the ‘rare species’.
The four rare pups, who have been born to parents Shala and Zaza, are the first of their kind to be born in the UK this year, and one of only three litters born in all zoos across Europe in 2025, so not only are they a big deal for Chester Zoo, they’re a big deal globally too.
Carnivore experts at the zoo have hailed the arrival of the two male and two female pups as ‘vital new additions’ to an international breeding programme.
The breeding programme is working to ensure the continued survival of the already-rare species.
Unsure what a fossa is? The fossa is a slender, cat-like mammal that can grow up to 6ft long and is adapted for a life in the trees, as they use their long tails for balance and can climb down headfirst with the help of retractable claws.
The fossa is the largest natural predator in Madagascar, and is a highly-threatened species, with their currently estimated to be fewer than 2,500 of them remaining in the wild, largely due to mass deforestation.
Fossa pups are born blind, weighing about 100g (about the same as a small apple).
They first leave their den several months after birth, and having been born on 8 July 2025, Chester Zoo’s new 12-week-old pups have now been spotted by zookeepers and zoo visitors venturing out for the first time.
Chester Zoo is celebrating birth of UK’s only fossa pups in a boost for the ‘rare species’ / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Welcoming four newborn fossa pups is such an incredible moment for us – and seeing them venture out of the den for the very first time has been a real privilege,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at the zoo.
“They’re already showing off their adventurous sides by climbing and exploring every branch they can find. Mum Shala certainly has her paws full when it comes to keeping track of them all, but she’s doing a brilliant job and is a very attentive mum.”
Dave said the zoo is going to start drawing up a list of potential names as each of the pups grow and begin to develop more of their own distinct personality.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd July 2025 
