Four male macaroni penguins are the newest residents at Folly Farm.

Named after gangsters, the ‘Macaroni Mafia’ - a bachelor group of four macaroni penguins made up of - Tony the Don, 13, Vinny the Voice, 7, Frankie the Fish, 5, and Little Nico, 3, have arrived at the Pembrokeshire attraction.

The group of males moved to Folly Farm from Living Coasts zoo and aquarium in Torquay.

They’ve already made their mark at Folly Farm where the four now live in harmony with the zoo’s existing group of Humboldt penguins at Penguin Coast, Folly Farm’s £500,000, state-of-the-art penguin habitat set over two acres.

Best known for its distinctive yellow crest feathers and prominent orange beak, the macaroni penguin is a large species of penguin found in the Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Peninsula.

Its common name is thought to have been inspired by its crest feathers; the term ‘Macaroni’ was used in 18th-century Britain to describe a man whose style of dress was flamboyant and excessively ornamented.

Macaroni penguins live on cliffs and rocky areas above the ocean and get around by hopping, rather than waddling. Larger than the Humboldt species, an adult macaroni penguin has an average length of around 70 cm. Male and females are similar in appearance although females tend to be smaller. Macaroni penguins can live up to 20 years.

Although it’s one of the most numerous species of penguin, macaroni numbers have decreased by an estimated 30 per cent over the last 30 years.

The species is classed as vulnerable, meaning it’s likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival – climate change, commercial fishing and oil pollution – improve.

Folly Farm is one of only three zoos in Europe home macaroni penguins and is currently on the waiting list for females to begin its own conservation breeding programme.

Catrin Thomas, penguin keeper at Folly Farm, said: “We’ve really been looking forward to the arrival of the macaroni penguins and it’s been great getting to know their personalities over the past few weeks.

“They definitely live up to their namesake – they’re a very proud species and spend a lot of time preening, but they’re also very gentle and a real pleasure to work with.

“Tony is definitely the Don. You can tell the others really admire him, they all follow his lead.

“Vinny is the vainest one of the group, he loves looking in the mirror and likes to help clean the enclosure by chasing after the brushes.

“Nico fancies himself a bit of a stud, he likes to show off on the rock in the middle of the pool, and Frankie spends most of his time following Tony around learning the ropes. They’re really good friends and they’re settling in well.

“It’s also really satisfying to know that, in taking on this group of surplus males from Living Coasts, we’re helping in the conservation of a vulnerable species of penguin.

“We’re looking forward to introducing them to the public and hope our visitors love them as much as we do!” she added.