New study claims penguins love visitors - but don't try and pat them say Natureland in Skegness

The advice comes after a new study shows some species in zoos enjoy the company of visitors.

Animal behaviour experts at Nottingham Trent University and Harper Adams University investigated more than 100 previous research papers exploring the various ways in which visitors impacted behaviour across more than 250 species.The team found significant results regarding elephants, with social activity among the animals increasing and repetitive behaviours – often indicating boredom in animals – decreasing during public feedings.Other species which displayed a positive response to visitors included penguins, jaguars, grizzly bears, polar bears, cheetahs, servals, banteng and black tailed prairie dogs.

Daisy Yeadon, director at Skegness Natureland, agreed their African penguins Pip, 4, and Popcorn, 11, love to perform for visitors – but warned people could get a peck if they tried to get too close.

"They enjoy the general visitors coming to see them,” she said. “They are always on top of their houses and jumping off the diving board so they definitely lie to entertain.

"As far as getting close to them they can be quite nippy and are very protective of each other’

"They don’t like cuddles but they definitely like working with their keepers doing lots of enrichment.”

Dr Samantha Ward, a zoo animal welfare scientist in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences said: ““Some animal species have been born and raised in zoos and so have likely become used to the presence of humans.

“Zoo visitors are often aspects of a zoo animal’s environment that animals cannot control and as such can be stressful, although some species appear to show good adaptability for the changing conditions of visitors.”

Dr Ellen Williams, a zoo animal welfare scientist at Harper Adams University, said: “We have robust methods to measure animal welfare in zoos. Animal responses are attributed to various factors and recognising what these may be is important to improve welfare.”Pip and Popcorn’s welfare is certainly being looked after as Skegness Natureland is currently working on plans to build a new enclosure for next season.