It isn’t so much a walk, but a waddle.

Beginning Monday, the Calgary Zoo’s king penguins will venture out of their enclosure for a 15 minute stroll and the public is invited to tag along with the flightless birds.

It’s the first program of its kind in Canada. Zookeepers — armed with a bucket of fish — have taken the penguins on practice runs for two months to ensure they are comfortable straying beyond the confines of their watery home.

They aren’t fazed in the least, said zoo spokesperson Trish Exton-Parder. “The public has had such an incredible response to penguins since they came here back in February. And now we have something more interactive for folks to catch a glimpse of them.”

The birds will walk a loop near the Penguin Plunge exhibit every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11 a.m. But it is weather dependent: the event will not go ahead if the mercury dips below -25 degrees Celsius or above 10 degrees C.

Ultimately, the birds are the boss. If they drag their feet at the prospect of a morning stroll, they don’t go. “It’s animals first,” said Exton-Parder.

But so far, they appear to love the change in their routine. The tuxedo-clad zoo residents have responded positively to new sights and sounds, according to exhibit curator Malu Celli.

It’s also great exercise for them. Much like humans, king penguins can become rather portly if they fail to move around.

“A king penguin in the wild could be walking 30 kilometres until he gets to the open sea — and that’s the beginning of a fishing trip that may last anywhere from two days to three weeks,” Celli said.

“In the zoo, they don’t get to exercise that much. They have hefty appetites and they’re very good at conserving weight so they can pile on the pounds.”

King penguins have the perfect disposition for a public walk: they follow directions, stick together and are content to stroll at a leisurely pace.

Alas, the eight birds won’t be accompanied by their gentoo colleagues, who are more excitable and prefer to run when let loose in the zoo.

King penguins are fairly docile but they have long beaks. For safety reasons, volunteers will ensure zoo visitors keep an appropriate distance from the waddling zoo residents as they roam their surroundings.

The walk is expected to continue until March, but Mother Nature will have the final say.

tgignac@calgaryherald

Twitter:/TamaraGignac