Zoo penguins lay eggs just in time for Easter

By Elizabeth Hunter

Adorable pictures show penguins with newly laid eggs - just in time for Easter.

The Gentoo and Northern Rockhopper aquatic birds have laid the first eggs of the year at Edinburgh Zoo.

After children from Edinburgh's Children's Hospital placed painted rocks in the enclosure earlier this month to allow for "pebbling" - when male penguins present colorful stones to a female - Gentoo couple Muffin and Mittens were the first to lay an egg.

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This marks the second year in a row that Muffin and Mittens have beaten the other penguins to the punch.

The eggs will be looked after by the expecting parents, and will begin to hatch towards the end of spring.

A representative from Edinburgh Zoo said: "Each chick born at the zoo contributes to international breeding programmes that help protect these remarkable species.

Visitors to the zoo may be lucky enough to witness the nesting rituals, from bowing to sharing incubation duties.

"The zoo’s expert keeper and veterinary teams will be providing round-the-clock care, ensuring the best possible conditions for both parents and their eggs. "