Celebrating his 5th birthday at Birdland, Spike the Penguin continues to draw the captivated crowds while his devoted fan base - and fame – spectacularly soars.
With over 1200
Facebook fans, Spike has famously featured on adverts and TV and can now also be
followed on Twitter as he enjoys a variety of adventures every day at Birdland’s
magnificent park and gardens in the Cotswolds.
Home to over 500
birds, with 140 different species including flamingos, pelicans, parrots, owls
and waterfowl, Birdland also boasts 2 species of penguin and is the only venue
in the UK to house King Penguins – including, of course, the star of the show,
Spike.
Hand reared by Head
Keeper - Alistair Keen, Spike hatched on 9th June 2007. His mother was called
Beryl and keepers suspect his father to be Frank - the naughtiest of the males
with regards to girlfriends! However, without the father’s help, Beryl
struggled with her egg and abandoned it, whereupon it was promptly rescued and
placed in the specialist King Penguin incubator.
Though King
Penguin’s usually incubate for about 56 days, it wasn’t until day 64 when Spike
decided to make his first appearance. Weighing just 170 grams, he was named
after a plucky character from the 1980s Transformers Cartoon and quickly
embarked upon his very own adventurous tale.
Unable to be looked
after in his parents’ brood pouch, instead Spike began life in a small ice cream
tub with a cuddly toy for company, eating a blended mix of fish, squid, vitamins
and water four times a day.
At two months, Spike
started to spend some time outside in the main enclosure, but had to be
separated from the rest of the group to avoid being pecked. Having developed
thick, brown feathers that were not ideally suited to an English Summer, he had
to be provided with umbrellas, ice blocks and a sprinkler to keep cool.
Gaining his adult
feathers at six months, Spike was integrated with the main group and allowed
access to the pool for the first time, and though he initially struggled to swim
- within 3 days he was going in by himself.
Because he was hand
reared, Spike was initially clingy and would follow the keepers everywhere,
which proved a useful trait as it enabled him to begin his TV and modelling
career. His incredible list of TV credits include various programmes for the
BBC and Channel 5, and he has also graced adverts for LG Freezers and an
Icelandic Bank while regularly appearing on Christmas cards.
Masses of admirers
continue to follow his spellbinding story of survival and celebrity. And now
that he is 5, he is potentially old enough to breed for the first time. Everyone
at Birdland is hoping to see him displaying and calling to the females in the
group and he has recently been observed brooding his cuddly toy and trying to
feed it, which is both an endearing sight and encouraging
sign.
Traditionally found
in the wild on the Northern edge of the Antarctic and on the Sub Antarctic
Islands like the Falklands, King Penguins can live to 18 years in the wild,
although Birdland’s oldest bird Missy is at least 36 years of age.
So here’s wishing
Spike a very happy fifth year, with many more landmark birthdays to celebrate in
his brilliantly bright future at Birdland!
Become one of
Spike’s Facebook fans at Spike the King Penguin and follow him on Twitter @spikekingpeng
Spike is fed – along
with the rest of the penguins at 2.30 every day
Birdland is open
daily 10-6 (last admission at 5)
Birdland, Rissington
Road, Bourton on the Water, Cheltenham, GLOS, GL54 2BN
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