Kyoto’s Beloved Penguins

What’s not to love about penguins?   and moult at about a year old, at which point they grow their adult feathers: …to a pile of feathers, representing the molt of a juvenile penguin becoming an adult. I’ve blogged before about the curious “march of the penguins” that takes place each afternoon, where keepers roam the exhibit carrying fish in order to ensure the penguins exercise (in a game of “follow the fish”) and to observe their general health. This emphasis on education, as well as exhibition, and clear concern for the animals’ welfare carried through the entire Kyoto Aquarium. The animals seemed happy,

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March of the (Kyoto) Penguins

During my recent trip to Japan, I spent a day at the Kyoto aquarium with my son (who was studying in Japan at the time). While there, we had the chance to witness one of the most entertaining zoo-related behaviors I’ve ever seen: the “penguin walk.” I’d heard that some Japanese zoos and aquariums “walk” the penguins to keep them in shape (and also to check for injuries), but never anticipated getting to witness the process for myself. I also had no idea how amusing it would be. Just as we reached the penguins, a trio of keepers entered the exhibit wearing full-length

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