Pinnacol Assurance Partners with Denver Zoo on New Penguin Exhibit

Colorado's largest workers' compensation insurer supports local zoo's conservation education efforts

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Oct 27, 2021, 09:15 ET

DENVER, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For years, Pinnacol Assurance has urged Coloradans to "walk like a penguin" to avoid slipping, tripping or falling when surfaces are wet or icy.

"When we mimic how penguins walk – short shuffles, angled feet, outstretched limbs – we can stay on our feet better and avoid a dangerous fall," says Pinnacol safety consultant Randy Philabaum.

African penguins live their best life at Denver Zoo's new Pinnacol African Penguin Point, partially funded by Pinnacol Assurance

Pinnacol, Colorado's largest workers' comp insurer, says the majority of workplace-related injuries are due to falls.

So Pinnacol jumped at the chance to sponsor a new exhibit at Denver Zoo that allows penguins to show off their natural biomechanics. Located near the Zoo's main entrance, the $1.7 million new exhibit features a 10,000-gallon swimming pool, multiple burrows and nesting areas, and nearly 85 linear feet of underwater viewing areas.

The exhibit – called "Pinnacol African Penguin Point" – is home to 18 endangered African penguins. Most of these penguins were born in Denver after the zoo's animal care team traveled to South Africa 20 years ago to help conserve the species. Their new habitat is inspired by Boulders Beach in South Africa, where conservationists first brought two breeding pairs of the almost-extinct birds in 1982 and provided a protected natural environment. Since then, the penguin colony has grown to about 3,000 birds – but they are still on the verge of extinction.

"As a nonprofit zoo-based conservation organization, Denver Zoo relies on corporate sponsors like Pinnacol to help us create experiences that connect our community to the natural world and inspire them to save wildlife for future generations," says Jake Kubié, director of communications for the Denver Zoo.

In addition to the state-of-the-art viewing areas, the Pinnacol African Penguin Point provides opportunities to learn firsthand from the birds' keepers and other specialists, as well as watch daily feedings.

Pinnacol will be spotlighted during the Zoo's annual Zoo Lights event this winter from Nov. 22, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022. The insurer and its penguin friends are also regularly featured on Denver Zoo TV and the zoo's digital content series, "The Flipside".

Denver Zoo has been a policyholder with Pinnacol Assurance for more than 20 years.

For more information about the Pinnacol African Penguin Point, please visit https://denverzoo.org/zootales/new-penguin-exhibit/. To learn to walk like a penguin and avoid falls, visit: https://www.pinnacol.com/blog/walk-like-a-penguin.

About Pinnacol Assurance
Pinnacol Assurance has been at the forefront of protecting, understanding and caring for Colorado
workers for 100 years. As the state's largest workers' compensation insurance carrier, we are committed to keeping workers safe and helping Colorado businesses thrive. We continue to navigate the evolution of work by asking, "What's next?" That philosophy has kept Pinnacol on the leading edge of creating new and better ways to care for and protect the people we serve. Learn more at Pinnacol.com.

Contact: Liz Johnson, Director, Public Relations
720-939-7238 (m)
[email protected]

SOURCE Pinnacol Assurance