Love is in the air as penguin breeding season starts at Edinburgh Zoo
Posted 17 Feb 2026
Over 100 gentoo penguins at Edinburgh Zoo are getting ready for the 2026 breeding season after the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) began laying out this year’s nest rings.
Before the rings even went in, the wildlife conservation charity’s penguins were already patiently waiting to pick the best spots as the nests were wheeled into their habitat. Among those already coupled up are visitor favourites, Muffin and Mittens, with lots of partner wooing still to take place.
Pebbles, a vital part of these courtship rituals, will follow in the coming weeks. Visitors might even be able to spot their own decorated pebble being chosen (or rejected) by the penguins by taking place in the Penguin Love Pebbles event, which runs until Wednesday 18 February.
Visitors looking to visit Edinburgh Zoo and paint their own pebble can book online and save.
Notes to Editors
Hi-res images and video available at https://we.tl/t-8LoPkzegdi
Images are free to use. Please credit RZSS.
Notes to editors
• Until February 18, visitors to Edinburgh Zoo can paint a pebble for the penguins – Penguin Love Pebbles
• There are over 100 gentoo penguins at Edinburgh Zoo
• Gentoo courtship involves locating a nesting site, males presenting pebbles as gifts to their partner for the season while bowing and braying. Females lay their eggs in March, with the first chicks hatching in April and May
• Edinburgh Zoo is also home to Northern rockhopper and king penguins, with keepers providing for the specific breeding requirements of each
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
