Tulsa Penguin History

A Real Penguin at the Tulsa Zoo

So What's the Deal with the Penguins?

The penguins that decorate the Tulsa landscape stand stoically like the guards at Buckingham Palace, and are similarly misplaced. "Why penguins in Tulsa?" you may ask.  Simple answer: they were a part of a 2002 fundraiser by the Tulsa Zoo and remind us of the Black-footed Penguin exhibit there.

According to this Tulsa Landmark article, penguins were sold for $3500 or adopted for $2500.

African Penguin Habitat

How many are there?  Seems there were 100 to start with, but the list of those you can actually find has dwindled to less than 50.  Some shopkeepers display them prominently and risk damage. Others have to hide them indoors so the vandals don't pick them up and throw them in the river! 

According to Wikipedia:

Penguin Habitat

The fund-raising campaign for this exhibit was a local art project that created 6-foot (1.8 m) tall penguin sculptures. Businesses gave donations to the fund-raising campaign and then received the penguin sculpture at their desired location. These penguins are now called, “Tulsa penguins."

OK, enough Trivia.  If you're interested in learning more, you can check out the Tulsa Penguins Facebook page.