Pesto the penguin chick at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium stuns the world with his incredible size
Animal lovers around the world are amazed by the astonishing size of a baby penguin, which weighs almost as much as its parents combined.
Pesto the king penguin is a nine-month-old chick at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium that weighs over 50 pounds.
His adult parents Tango and Hudson weigh 11 and 12 kg respectively, while the average size of an adult king penguin is 14 to 17 kg.
When Pesto was born in January, he already weighed 200 grams and since then he has grown rapidly, partly due to his enormous appetite.
He eats four times a day, one meal of which consists of eight fish.
According to Michaela Smale, keeper at the Sea Life Aquarium, the chick, which is also larger than the other penguins, has a “bold and confident character”.
“He loves his caregivers and is often the first one to come chirping to us in the morning for breakfast,” she said. ABC News.
Ms Smale explained that in the wild it is essential for king penguin chicks to gain weight as quickly as possible to survive the freezing temperatures of the Arctic climate, as their brown, fluffy feathers are not waterproof.
Pesto the king penguin is only nine months old and already weighs twice as much as his parents (pictured is Pesto with brown feathers)
Weighing in at over 22 kilos, Pesto (pictured) is considered a very large chick
Despite this, Pesto is still bigger than many a chick.
“He’s a fat monkey, but he’s healthy,” said Mrs. Smale.
Genetics also played a role in Pesto’s size.
“He definitely comes from a family of big babies,” added fellow caregiver Jacinta Early;
Pesto’s size has made him a global internet star, with millions of people watching videos of the giant chick.
Globally, social videos have reached 1.9 billion people.
“I love pesto so much,” one fan wrote.
Another asked: ‘Is it possible to meet Pesto?’
A third added: ‘He had to be so big to contain all that grandeur’.
Pesto attracts large crowds to see the colony of 60 king and gentoo penguins, as well as many more named after specific dishes.
Pesto has become an online star and has a huge following on social media. He is pictured with a Sea Life Aquarium keeper)
Fans have just two weeks left to see Pesto (pictured) with his fluffy brown feathers – he’ll soon lose them and get his black and white feathers back
But the adoration of the crowd can also be stressful for Pesto and his penguin friends in the -2C enclosure,
The biggest concerns are crowds of people banging on windows and flash photography.
Pesto’s ‘airiness’ is making way for a new summer body – and fans have just two weeks left to see him in all his brown feathers.
Once he enters the flying phase, his growth will slow down. He will lose his feathers and get black and white feathers.
Pesto is expected to lose 15 kilos in the coming months.