King penguins at Birdland enjoy icy relief during heatwave
Keepers have also installed cooling sprinklers across their enclosure
Last updated 8th Jul 2026
Birdland Park & Gardens in Bourton-on-the-Water is ensuring its king penguin colony remains comfortable during the heatwave by delivering piles of crushed ice for them to enjoy.
Keepers have teamed up with Oxford Ice Co, and have also installed cooling sprinklers across their enclosure.
The Penguins can be seen standing on, investigating and pecking at the mounds of ice, with the cooling measures also benefiting Birdland's newest arrivals, four young king penguins currently spending time behind the scenes in quarantine before joining the main colony later this year.
The new arrivals, two females from Denmark's Odense Zoo and two males from Switzerland's Zurich Zoo, are around two years old.
The wildlife attraction say their introduction will boost the colony to a total of five adult males, five adult females, and six younger penguins, enhancing the long-term breeding prospects for the next decade.
Birdland recently celebrated the laying of its first king penguin egg in over six years.
First-time breeder French and her partner Frank produced the egg which is currently bring carefully incubated by Birdland's living collections team.
Head of Living Collections Alistair Keen said the current hot weather meant keepers were taking extra steps to ensure the birds remained comfortable.
"Although king penguins are incredibly well adapted to cold environments, they are also remarkably resilient birds and we have a range of measures in place to help them cope during warmer spells," he said.
"The crushed ice has proved extremely popular, giving the penguins somewhere cool to stand while also encouraging natural curiosity and behaviour.
“Combined with the sprinkler system and constant monitoring by our team, it helps ensure the birds stay comfortable throughout the day.
"It's also important for our four new young king penguins behind the scenes, who are receiving exactly the same level of care while they complete their quarantine period before joining the main colony."
Tom from Oxford Ice Co said he was delighted to help: "When Birdland asked whether we could provide ice for the penguins, it was an easy decision. It's not every day you get to deliver a frozen treat to king penguins, and we're pleased to be able to help them stay cool during the heatwave."