Coronavirus: Penguin parade cancelled but Edinburgh Zoo to stay open amid COVID-19 outbreak

Edinburgh Zoo’s popular penguin parade has been postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the zoo will remain open for now.

In a statement posted on their website, the Zoo announced a change to opening times to allow for additional cleaning, as well as the continuation of most of the keeper talks.

From today (March 18), the zoo will open from 11am until 4pm with the last entry at 3pm, with queues to be managed “appropriately” and the Penguins Café will also stay open.

Additional cleaning will also take place to maintain “the highest possible standards of hygiene”.

However the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) did confirm the penguin parade, which can attract large crowds, will be cancelled due to concerns about social distancing.

All other public events and experiences have also been postponed, with the Zoo contacting those with pre-booked events, experiences and tickets.

Charlotte Macdonald, interim chief executive of RZSS said, “Edinburgh Zoo is currently open and the health, safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our top priorities.

“We are taking all necessary precautions in line with government and public health advice in response to the coronavirus situation and encouraging our visitors to do the same. We are carrying out additional cleaning to maintain the highest possible standards of hygiene and added queue management systems will be in place.

“With the exception of the zoo’s penguin parade which can attract crowds, our keeper talks will continue and visitors will be able to enjoy large outdoor spaces within the park.

"As a wildlife conservation charity, we will also be continuing with our work to safeguard threatened species in Scotland and around the world.

“Every visit to our parks makes this vital work possible and we are incredibly grateful for the continued support which will be even more important over the coming months. Anyone who would like to help can find out how on our website."