Edinburgh Zoo welcomes first king penguin egg in 17 years…and Sir Nils is the dad!

Scotland’s first king penguin egg in 17 years has been laid at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo.

The egg was laid by Connie in the early hours of Friday 14 August. The lucky father is none other than the world’s highest-ranking penguin Major General Sir Nils Olav.

Connie is a newcomer to the zoo having arrived in January alongside two other females. Keepers did not expect them to lay eggs until 2027 at the earliest.

Darren McGarry, head of animal care at RZSS, said: “It was a lovely surprise to find a king penguin egg for the first time in almost two decades. We expected the girls would need time to settle in but Sir Nils made short work of charming Connie. She clearly is a fan of his military status.”

King penguins lay a single egg which takes around 55 days to hatch. Parents keep the egg on their feet taking shifts to keep it warm.

Michael Livingstone, senior keeper at RZSS, adds: “We could not be more excited for Connie and Sir Nils. They are inexperienced parents-to-be so we will keep a close eye on them. Their instincts are strong and we are cautiously optimistic but there is a long way to go.”

Connie and Sir Nils can be seen tucked into a quiet corner protecting the egg which is only visible when they move it between them.

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