Here come the girls: Trio of female king penguins join Edinburgh Zoo’s colony
Posted 27 Jan 2026
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed three female king penguins to its colony for the first time in over a decade. Constance, Maude and Alma arrived from Rotterdam Zoo in early January.
Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity introduced the girls to Major General Sir Nils Olav - one of the zoo’s four male king penguins and the world’s highest-ranking animal - who quickly welcomed the trio into their new home. Their personalities have already started to shine, with Maude being particularly feisty and energetic.
Visitors can see the new arrivals at Penguins Rock, alongside a colony of over 100 gentoo and Northern rockhopper penguins.
Notes to Editors
Hi-res video and images available at https://we.tl/t-Aaosbi7LLS
Video and images are free to use. Please credit RZSS.
Notes to editor:
- Constance and Alma are two years old, Maude is three years old. They arrived at the zoo in early January, where they were quarantined as part of normal biosecurity protocols
- They have joined the rest of the colony at Penguins Rock, Europe’s largest outdoor penguin pool
- The females join the zoos four male king penguins: Alfie, Kongo, Bow and Major General Sir Nils Olav, the world’s highest-ranking penguin and mascot for the Norwegian Guard
- In 1919, Edinburgh Zoo was the first zoo in the world to successfully breed king penguins
About the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (rzss.org.uk)
- The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world which protects, values and loves nature
- Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are gateways to the natural world through which people can experience nature, learn about the challenges facing wildlife and discover how we harness our expertise in conservation science and animal care alongside the unique power of the RZSS family – our teams, supporters and partners – to save animals from extinction
