Meet Pesto, the Giant Baby Penguin Capturing Hearts Around the World
By Movieguide® Contributor
A baby penguin named Pesto is taking the internet by storm — and for a very big reason.
“At just nine months old, Pesto tips the scales at a whopping 21kg (46 pounds), thanks to his hearty appetite of 25 fish a day. He’s officially the largest chick SEA LIFE Melbourne has ever seen, making him a huge hit with guests and fans around the world,” the Australian aquarium’s website reads. “From tender moments with parents Hudson and Tango to his adorable waddles into the colony, Pesto has been a true crowd-pleaser.”
The aquarium explained that there are a few different reasons why Pesto is so large.
“Firstly, his biological dad, Blake, is our biggest and oldest penguin,” they wrote. “Secondly, he’s had amazing parents raising him! So, the combination of good genes and good parents explains his current weight, but he will lose a lot of this when he fledges (develops his adult feathers.)”
In an interview with Australia’s 10 News First, an aquarium employee gave some context to Pesto’s size.
“Now, to give you some reference, both Tango and Hudson [his parents] weigh only about 11 kilos,” she said.
In a TikTok posted to the aquarium’s page, the employees held a gender reveal party for Pesto, complete with a blue-icing cake.
“Just by looking at a King penguin, we can’t actually determine the gender, so we need to send away a tiny sample of blood to a laboratory to determine the gender of our penguin,” she explained.
@10newsfirst It’s a boy! Pesto the penguin chick received global attention last month for his plump figure after weighing in at 21kg, nearly twice the weight of his parents. However, it wasn’t until now, nine months after his birth, that staff at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium have known his gender. And to announce the big news, they hosted an icy gender reveal party with his fellow King penguins. #penguin #penguinchick #melbourne #sealife #melbourneaquarium #pesto
Pesto is taking the internet by storm, with thousands around the world checking in on this adorable penguin.
One user wrote, “Pesto is a celebrity!,” while another commented, “Pesto! You bring the world so much love and joy! Thank you for existing!”
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