In an unprecedented move, Basildon Zoo has announced the world’s first ever penguin election, where its colony of penguins will ‘vote’ for their new ‘Zoo Mayor’. The election, scheduled for next week, will be open to all the animals in the zoo, with penguins as the main candidates.
“The decision-making skills of our penguins are surprisingly sophisticated,” explains the Head Zookeeper. “We’ve observed them holding lengthy discussions (or what sounds like it), and they seem ready for political office.”
Each penguin candidate has its own campaign platform. Penny, known for her speedy swimming, is campaigning on a “more fish in every meal” policy, while Pedro, the most vocal of the lot, is advocating for extended swimming hours. The zookeepers have set up a special voting area where animals can cast their votes by choosing their favorite fish placed next to the candidates’ pictures.
In a spirit of inclusivity, other animals will also participate. The lemurs are in charge of vote counting, the giraffes will oversee the entire process to ensure fairness, and the tortoises have been named as the election’s legal advisors.
Locals are taking delight in the event, with some even creating campaign posters for their favorite penguin candidates. The zoo plans to live stream the election, expecting a large online audience.
The elected penguin mayor will have the honorary duty of leading the daily penguin parade and will get first dibs on fish at feeding time. “This election is a fun way to engage the community and educate them about our conservation efforts,” said the zoo spokesperson.
As for the human mayor of Basildon’s thoughts on the matter? “I welcome the competition,” they said with a wink. “It’s about time we had some fresh perspectives in politics, even if they are from penguins!”
