Birdland Keeper Returns from Peru After Joining Global Effort to Protect Endangered Penguins

13th November 2025

Birdland Park & Gardens’ Head Keeper Alistair Keen has returned from an unforgettable conservation mission in southern Peru, where he joined scientists and wildlife specialists from around the world to help protect one of the planet’s most threatened penguin species.

As part of the Punta San Juan Programme, Al spent more than two weeks volunteering on Peru’s remote Pacific coast, monitoring Humboldt penguins, surveying Peruvian pelicans, Inca terns and sea lions, and helping to construct new artificial nesting boxes that could prove vital to the future of the species.

“It was an incredible experience,” said Al. “We worked alongside Peruvian researchers and international volunteers collecting data, monitoring wildlife and building over a hundred artificial nests for the Humboldt penguins.

“These nests will provide safe, shaded breeding sites that protect eggs and chicks from predators and extreme heat. Seeing that work come to life was amazing.”

Al also highlighted the additional challenges faced by the penguins at Punta San Juan, including the site’s five-yearly guano harvesting, which can disrupt nesting and penguins’ movements to and from the sea. “We spent six hours a day monitoring the penguins to see what impact the workers were having, which gave valuable insight into how best to protect them during these periods,” he said.

Punta San Juan is home to Peru’s largest colony of Humboldt penguins and is recognised as one of the most important seabird breeding sites in South America.

The species is facing serious challenges due to climate change, overfishing, El Niño events and avian influenza, with populations at Punta San Juan declining dramatically in recent years.

Birdland’s involvement with the project follows its ongoing partnership with Penguins International, which began when the park’s much-loved king penguin Spike won the organisations global March of the Penguins Madness competition in 2023.

Since then, Birdland has co-sponsored Humboldt population surveys and helped raise awareness of the species’ plight.

“Supporting projects like this is at the heart of what we do,” Al added.

“It’s about sharing expertise, contributing to real-world conservation, and showing that every penguin, whether in the wilds of the Cotswolds to the coasts of Peru, matters.”

Birdland will continue to support the Punta San Juan Programme through fundraising, awareness and future field collaborations.

You can view an album of Al’s experience on our Facebook page and see some video highlights on our Youtube channel