New penguins brought to Dudley Zoo after devastating malaria outbreak given Super Mario names
Three new penguins who arrived at Dudley Zoo in the wake of a deadly malaria outbreak have been named after popular characters from the Super Mario universe.
The zoo acquired the rare Humboldt chicks at the end of March after a devastating malaria outbreak in January 2022 which killed 65 out of its 70 penguins.
Keepers have named the three new males Mario, Luigi and Bowser after the popular video game characters and they’re all settling well into Penguin Bay.
A spokesperson for Dudley Zoo said: "These recent arrivals, who joined us from Curraghs Wildlife Park in the Isle of Man earlier this year, have an important role in being founding members of our new Humboldt colony as we aim to replicate our past success of once again having one of the largest self-sustained groups in the country.
"The juveniles, who are around a year-old can currently be identified from the others as they don’t have the recognisable black band on their chest, although that will soon appear once they moult and gain their adult plumage."
Bowser is also available for adoption. For more details, go to dudleyzoo.org.uk/product/bowser-the-penguin/.
