Edinburgh Zoo cancels penguin parade for three months

The world famous penguin parade at Edinburgh Zoo will be cancelled for the next three months.

The zoo said the birds' enclosure was in urgent need of maintenance.

Many of its 160 penguins will be sent to other zoos in Belfast, Denmark and England. Some birds will remain at the zoo and visitors will still be able to see them feeding.

When they return, Edinburgh Zoo plans to start a breeding programme.

The zoo's bird team leader Colin Oulton said: "There will never be a perfect time to carry out the upgrade; however, we have carefully deliberated timings.

"Our penguins are all going to zoos with dedicated facilities and it goes without saying that they will be extremely well cared for.

"We look forward to completing work on our outdoor penguin pool and to the summer when our colony is back together again."