Planet Zoo 2 African Penguin: Enclosure Type, Edition & Habitat Notes

No. Frontier classifies the African penguin as a land-habitat animal, even though it swims. Its Zoopedia entry lists it as Critically Endangered, with about 19,800 in the wild, and describes large breeding colonies of lifelong pairs.

Is the African penguin an aquarium animal in Planet Zoo 2?

African penguin standing among rocks, with a black-and-white body and pale chest — This is a real African penguin at the National Aviary, not a game image. Real-world photo, not an in-game image. Photo: “Spheniscus demersus at National Aviary 2.jpg” by Bill Price III / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized to 640×360 from the Wikimedia Commons file). All photo credits.

Spheniscus demersus, nicknamed the jackass penguin for its donkey-like call. Frontier describes large breeding colonies, pairs that stay together for life, and nests built from pebbles and guano. Pink skin around the eyes helps it shed heat, and every bird has its own pattern of chest spots.

Edition and official listing

This entry is classified as Base game in our checked official roster; it is not one of the six Deluxe additions.

Official enclosure labels: Land habitat. These labels describe categories, not a compatibility verdict.

Recorded Zoopedia date: 2026-06-23 (opening roster; not necessarily the first announcement). Read the linked official announcement, published 2026-06-23, or compare updates in the reveal timeline.

Compare confirmed roster details

Both animals swim, but the game files them differently: the penguin under land habitats, the manatee under aquariums. That label decides which building you use.

Detail	African Penguin	West Indian Manatee
Scientific name	Spheniscus demersus	Trichechus manatus
Edition	Base game	Base game
Official enclosure labels	Land habitat	Aquarium
Recorded Zoopedia date	2026-06-23	2026-09-24

Check West Indian Manatee in Frontier’s Zoopedia. A shared label is not evidence of compatible welfare settings.

Planning notes for this animal

Although it swims, the game classifies it as a land-habitat animal, not an aquarium species, so plan it in a habitat rather than a tank. A colony theme suits the biography, and burrow-like shelters echo the artificial nests used in real conservation.

These are our design suggestions, not verified welfare requirements.

Habitat requirements and compatibility

Verify group size, land and water area, temperature and any nesting items in game. Its Critically Endangered status is conservation context, not a game rule.

Space, temperature, group limits and pairings remain unverified. Planning tools use fictional demo data.

Use the full roster for the currently sourced overview. Once actual gameplay values are checked, requirements will be published at this same URL.

More Land habitat profiles

African Savannah Elephant — Land habitat
Golden Lion Tamarin — Land habitat, Deluxe
Lion — Land habitat
Masai Giraffe — Land habitat
Meerkat — Land habitat
Plains Zebra — Land habitat
Red Panda — Land habitat
Saltwater Crocodile — Land habitat
Sumatran Tiger — Land habitat

See all announced animals.

Sources

Frontier Zoopedia — African Penguin — Species identity and biography, checked 29 September 2026.
Frontier Zoopedia roster — Edition, enclosure tags and reveal metadata from our 26 September snapshot.