The Toronto Zoo’s African penguins are located in a special habitat designed to support the colony and keep them active with swimming and diving.
By Don Lawrence
Who doesn’t love an African penguin? With their comical Charlie Chaplin waddle and slightly clumsy charm, African penguins keep guests at the Toronto Zoo smiling for hours.
Did you know that many African penguins are true romantics? They’re often monogamous, forming strong lifelong partnerships with a single mate. Together, they build nests, take turns incubating eggs, raising their chicks, and protecting their home. Because of this devotion, African penguins are often featured on Valentine’s cards as symbols of love, loyalty and partnership.
But in a busy colony full of look-alikes, how do they find their special someone? African penguins have unique black dot patterns on their chests – just like fingerprints – which help them recognize their mates. At the zoo, guardians also use coloured flipper bands to help tell who’s who.
According to a December 2025 Toronto Zoo Facebook post, they were thrilled to welcome four new African penguins: Charlie, Nina, Sophia and Big Red. Since arriving, they’ve brought plenty of personality, romance and a little drama!
Charlie and Nina have clearly found love and are rarely seen apart. Sophia is still exploring her options, and occasionally sneaks fish from older penguins when she thinks no one is watching. Big Red has certainly made waves by spending time with the youngest penguin, Matilda, much to the dismay of her current mate, Sparkles.
Behind the scenes, the Guardian Care team gets to know each penguin’s unique personality, favourite fish and funny quirks. Some love attention and have been known to flirt shamelessly with guardians during feeding time.
Sadly, African penguins are now listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning they face an extremely high risk of extinction. Scientists estimate they could disappear from the wild in fewer than 4,000 days without urgent conservation efforts.
The Toronto Zoo supports African penguin conservation through a long-term partnership with SANCCOB. Through the Wilding Endangered Species Preservation Fund, the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy is committing $50,000 over five years to support SANCCOB’s Penguin and Seabird Rangers Program.