Fourteen penguins have died in quick succession at the Beekse Bergen safari park in Brabant. The cause of death is not yet known. Most of the penguins were transferred from AquaZoo Leeuwarden earlier this year because other penguins there became ill.
In total, eleven penguins that had been transferred from Leeuwarden and three penguins that had been living in the Brabant zoo for some time died. This is reported by RTL Nieuws and Omroep Brabant. The animals died between February and April.
Employees of the safari park and Utrecht University examined the animals but could not determine a cause of death. It has been established that it was a natural death. The penguins that came from Leeuwarden showed “similar symptoms” to their counterparts in AquaZoo.
The eleven penguins were transferred when other penguins in the Frisian zoo died from a disease. The move was already planned due to a renovation, but was brought forward as a result. They were healthy when they arrived at Beekse Bergen safari park.
The eleven penguins lived in a separate enclosure and therefore did not yet live together with other penguins. Animals need to get used to a new enclosure. That is why they are often temporarily separated from the rest of the group.
The three other African penguins had been living in the safari park in Hilvarenbeek for longer. These penguins did not die from the same disease as the rest, but in any case from a natural cause. There is no evidence that other penguins in the park are ill.