Pesto, an abnormally large and thickly feathered king penguin chick, has become the star of his Australian aquarium and social networking sites.
Although he is only 9 months old, Pesto weighs 23.5 kg, which means that he is bigger than both his parents, Tango and Hudson, combined, who weigh around 11 kg each.
The “supernatural baby” eats up to 25 fish a day and that means its already impressive size will grow even more, explained Emily Thornton, head penguin keeper at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium.
Pesto already has a lot of fans on social networking sites. Its tall, rotund figure, with its thick, brown plumage, is immediately distinguishable from the other, ordinary penguins. It is already the largest king penguin that aquarium officials have ever seen.
The “baby” is very social, curious and self-confident. He interacts with both the other penguins and the keepers, Thornton explained. In fact, he does not seem to have realized that he is famous, despite the cameras that follow him all the time.
Much to the dismay of those in charge, his mind is constantly “on food” and it is difficult to stay still on the scale for them to measure his weight accurately.
A video posted by the aquarium on TikTok, showing two employees dancing behind the indifferent Pesto, has garnered 4 million views.
Pesto’s feathers are particularly “thick” as baby penguins, in their natural environment, should be able to withstand the polar temperatures of Antarctica. Its large size is also a survival advantage because smaller birds are at risk of being eaten by predators.
A huge king penguin chick named Pesto, who weighs as much as both his parents combined, has become a social media celebrity and a star attraction at an Australian aquarium. pic.twitter.com/Iuhe9RhYyA
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 20, 2024
Pesto’s genetic heritage likely played a role in his unnatural size, because his ancestors were among the largest penguins the aquarium has ever housed. “He’s in very good health,” Thornton said, explaining that in the wild the chicks can be even larger.
Pesto will soon shed his brown baby feathers and take on adult plumage, the distinctive yellow head stripe and tuxedo-like black and white coloring. “This process takes a lot of energy and his appetite will decrease,” Thornton explained.
King penguins live in Antarctica and their population is relatively stable, with about 1.6 million pairs breeding each year. Thornton said climate change has yet to affect their natural environment.
In the 19th and 20th centuries king penguins came to the brink of extinction because they were hunted for their meat and blubber.
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