CELEBRATIONS are in order at a wildlife park this Easter after a colony of penguins produced a record number of eggs.

Five couples of captive-bred Humboldt penguins at Birdland Park and Gardens, in Bourton, have laid a total of 10 eggs between them – now staff face an anxious wait to see how many will hatch.

Keeper Alistair Keen said: "It’s the first time five pairs have laid and it’s also the largest total clutch of eggs.

"We have created a series of nesting sites within the rockwork of their display which enables the Humboldts to hatch their own eggs.

"These areas mimic those in the wild and definitely seem to be working well as the number of pairs sitting on eggs is rising each year.

"We’re anticipating a number of the eggs won’t be fertile and, as some of the pair are first time parents, we simply don’t know how many will eventually hatch. However it’s certainly been a great start."

The Gloucestershire wildlife attraction, which marks its 60th anniversary this year, is home to more than 500 birds.

The Humboldt is a South American penguin which can be found in and around coastal Peru and Chile.

In the wild, the penguins are under threat from climate change, overfishing and the acidification of the oceans.

They are now officially listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – which means they are at immediate or imminent risk of becoming endangered.

For more information about Birdland, based in Rissington Road, call 01451 820480 or visit birdland.co.uk