Evaluating the Behavior and Temperament of African Penguins in a Non-Contact Animal Encounter Program

As animal ambassador programs increase across zoos, it is important to assess the impact they may have on animal welfare. We investigated possible behavioral impacts of a penguin encounter program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, on a colony of 15 African penguins. We also investigated whether individual characteristics, including temperament, related to penguins’ voluntary participation in the program. We collected 16 weeks of behavioral data, during which 43 Penguin Encounters occurred, which allowed zoo guests to enter part of the penguins’ enclosure. We found no significant differences in colony affiliative or aggressive behavior between days with or without encounter programs, suggesting that offering encounters did not disrupt social behavior in the colony. We also measured penguin temperament on a shy-bold continuum by recording birds’ responses to novel objects and found that temperament, as well as age and sex were predictive of their voluntary participation. We concluded that this program had a neutral or positive impact on penguin welfare, possibly due to aspects of the ambassador program that provided penguins with control over their involvement