A number of potential stressors are present in captive environments and it is critically
important to identify them in order to improve health and welfare in ex situ animal
populations. In this study, we investigated the adrenocortical activity of a colony of African
penguins hosted in an immersive zoo in Italy, with respect to the presence of visitors and
local microclimatic conditions, using the non-invasive method of assessing faecal
glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs). The penguins' exhibit is a large naturalistic outdoor …