Penguins are popular zoo animals and face serious threats in the wild; understanding their welfare needs in both settings is essential for conservation and captive management.
Captive penguins can live long, healthy lives when their needs are met — but many zoo facilities fall short on pool design, flooring quality, and social group management. Pododermatitis is a painful condition affecting foot tissue and is a key indicator of inadequate housing. In the wild, climate change is shifting prey distributions, causing chicks to starve and adults to fail breeding. Conservation zoo populations are increasingly important as insurance against wild population collapse.