Oldest living penguin in captivity

A female gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) called Olde ("Great-granny" in Danish) was hatched on 16 May 1979 at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, UK, before being transferred to Biodome in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on 13 March 1980. She made her final move to Odense Zoo in Denmark on 1 May 2003 just before she turned 24 years old, where she has lived ever since. Olde was confirmed to be 41 years 331 days old as of 12 April 2021.

Olde is a great-great-great-grandmother, with the latest chicks in her lineage being hatched this year in Belfast (UK), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and her birthplace, Edinburgh (UK).

Gentoo penguins are native to the Antarctic Peninsula and subantarctic islands, including the Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. In the wild, their average lifespan is just 15-20 years; life expectancy increases up to 30 years in captivity.

Gentoos are also the fastest-known swimming birds, reaching speeds of up to 36 km/h (22 mph) in short bursts when hunting for prey such as fish and squid.