Shropshire Star

Rare albino penguin makes debut at zoo

In the wild, such an unusual-looking penguin would be rejected by other penguins and would have little chance of survival.

Published
A rare albino penguin in Poland

An extremely rare albino penguin has made its debut at Gdansk Zoo in northern Poland.

The penguin hatched in mid-December and has been under veterinary care. In the wild, such an unusual-looking penguin would be rejected by other penguins and would have little chance of survival.

But in Gdansk, it has its parents and two other friendly penguins.

The bird’s sex has not yet been determined. It weighs over half a kilogram (1.1 pounds) and stands 28 centimetres (11 inches) tall.

Poland Albino Penguin
The penguin almost certainly would not have survived in the wild (AP)

Zoo director Michal Targowski said on Friday that the albino penguin “would have become the very first to be attacked by predators”.

He said it requires special care, being prone to diseases since it lacks a protective black pigment. He said his team was astonished and “incredibly happy” to have a baby albino penguin.

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