Edinburgh Zoo's popular penguin parade cancelled amid fears over bird flu
Edinburgh Zoo has cancelled its popular penguin parade due to an increased risk of bird flu.
The Wee Waddle, where penguins parade along a walkway next to their enclosure, generally takes place several times a week and is described as a "firm favourite" with visitors.
But now it has been called off indefinitely amid fears that avian influenza is on the rise in the UK.
Jo Elliot, curator for the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland (RZSS), which runs the zoo, said: "Due to an increased risk of avian influenza in the UK we have made the decision to postpone our Wee Waddle for the foreseeable future.
"We have strengthened our bio-security measures on-site, increasing the amount of disinfection points to keep all of our bird species safe from the virus.
"While we know the Wee Waddle is a firm favourite with our visitors, protecting all of our animals is always our top priority."
Edinburgh was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins.
The first parade is thought to have taken place in 1949, when a keeper accidentally left the gate of the enclosure open and a few curious penguins left the enclosure and marched down to the front gate and back, with the keeper in tow.
It then became a daily ritual and its fame spread around the world.
The parade was cancelled during Covid to discourage large crowds standing together and its return was then delayed due to avian flu risks throughout the UK.
In September 2024, with the bird flu risk at a lower level, the zoo introduced the Wee Waddle, an amended version of the parade.
Unlike the original parade, there was a small, penguin-sized fence to separate penguins and visitors. It took place at 2.15pm from Thursdays to Sundays.
And the zoo stressed the Wee Waddle was completely voluntary and penguins were not coerced into venturing outside their habitat.
There have been 81 confirmed outbreaks of avian flu across the UK since October, with four of them in Scotland.
Protection zones are currently in place in Midlothian following recent confirmation of outbreaks at two farms near Penicuik.