New zoo arrivals are named in tribute to the NHS

Five rare penguin chicks newly arrived at a North West Zoo have been named after NHS Heroes and hospitals.

The first of the highly threatened Humboldt penguins arrived on 26 March, closely followed by several others, the last of which emerged from its egg on 14 April.

The new chicks will spend the first eight weeks of life tucked away in their nests, with both mum and dad sharing parenting duties and caring for them.

To help them keep track of the new chicks, conservationists at the zoo select a different naming theme for the youngsters each year.

Previous years’ topics have included brands of crisps, chocolate bars and British Olympic athletes.

They have been named Florence (after Florence Nightingale), Thomas (after St Thomas’ Hospital), Bevan (after Aneurin Bevan who founded the NHS), Arrowe (after Arrowe Park Hospital) and finally Countess (named after the zoo’s local hospital – the Countess of Chester Hospital)

Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Found on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile, the penguins face a number of threats such as climate change, over-fishing of their natural food sources and rising acidity and temperature levels in the oceans.