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Pesto (penguin)

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Pesto
Pesto, a king penguin chick with brown fluffy feathers, standing in a snowy enclosure
Pesto in September 2024, prior to molting
SpeciesKing penguin
SexMale
Hatched (2024-01-30) 30 January 2024 (age 9 months)[1]
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne, Australia
Weight22.5 kg (50 lb; 3 st 8 lb)

Pesto (hatched 30 January 2024) is a king penguin chick living in Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium who gained notability in September 2024 due to his exceptionally large size during his infancy.

Life

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Pesto was hatched 30 January 2024 at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium,[1] and weighed 200 grams (7.1 oz) at birth.[2] His biological father is Blake, another king penguin living at the aquarium,[3][4] although keepers opted to have two younger penguins, Tango and Hudson, raise Pesto as foster parents.[5] This decision was made in part due to Blake's age (22 years), and Tango and Hudson's lack of success in hatching their own eggs.[6] Pesto was the first king penguin chick to be hatched at the aquarium since 2022.[7] Pesto was first put on display at the aquarium in April 2024.[8]

At the time of his gender reveal in September 2024, which was broadcast on social media,[5] he weighed 21 kilograms (46 lb),[9] making him the largest king penguin chick to ever live at the aquarium.[3] By that month, he was eating about 25 fish per day and 24 kilograms (53 lb) of fish per week, a healthy quantity for adolescent penguins.[7][8] As of 23 September 2024, Pesto was reported to be 90 centimetres (35 in) tall and weigh 22.5 kilograms (50 lb); adult king penguins typically weigh between 9.5 kilograms (21 lb) and 18 kilograms (40 lb).[5][7] Despite being a chick, he weighs more than his parents Hudson and Tango combined, although he is expected to lose weight after molting.[2] According to his keepers, he is expected to weigh around 15 kilograms (33 lb) as an adult.[7] Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium partly attributed his large size to genetics, as his biological father Blake is the largest penguin at the aquarium, and partly to care by his foster parents.[4]

In late October 2024, Pesto began to molt, losing his baby feathers and growing adult feathers. His lower body and wings started molting first, with white adult feathers emerging on the lower body, while his upper body still retained brown feathers.[10] Although king penguins usually molt at ten to twelve months old, Pesto began molting at around nine months old. The amount of food available to him has been suggested as an explanation for his early molting. The molt is expected to last three or four weeks, ending in late November.[11]

Cultural impact

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Pesto has received extensive attention online, becoming an Internet meme on TikTok due to his large size.[12] He has affectionately been described by fans as a "fatty", an "absolute unit", and a "linebacker".[2] While visiting Melbourne for the 2024 AFL Grand Final, American singer Katy Perry stated that she wanted to kiss Pesto.[13] She met with the penguin on 27 September, although she did not kiss him due to biosecurity measures.[14] Pesto was similarly visited by American singer Olivia Rodrigo on 11 October during her Guts World Tour.[15]

On 9 October, a mural depicting Pesto surrounded by four much smaller adult penguins was unveiled in the Melbourne central business district. Painted by local artist Lukas Kasper, the mural was commissioned by the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium.[16]

See also

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  • Hua Hua, a baby panda that gained online popularity in 2024
  • Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus that gained online popularity in September 2024

References

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  1. ^ a b Gatluak, Nyibol (28 March 2024). "Penguin chick Pesto melts hearts at Melbourne aquarium". The Canberra Times. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Turnbull, Tiffanie. "Meet Pesto: the fat baby penguin and viral superstar". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Visit Pesto". Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b Bender, Kelli (25 September 2024). "Why Is Pesto the Baby Penguin So Big? The Viral Bird's Aquarium Shares the Answer". People. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Marcus, Lilit (23 September 2024). "Pesto the baby penguin is already taller than his parents. Now he's a social media star". CNN. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  6. ^ Krishnamoorthy, Haylena (27 September 2024). "Pesto the penguin superstar wows the public". SBS News Podcasts (Podcast). SBS News.
  7. ^ a b c d McGuirk, Rob (20 September 2024). "Huge Australian king penguin chick Pesto grows into social media star". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b Treisman, Rachel (20 September 2024). "A massive baby penguin named Pesto is inhaling fish and winning fans". NPR. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  9. ^ Williams, Chris (8 September 2024). "Australia aquarium hosts adorable gender-reveal party for penguin chick". LiveNow from Fox. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Yahoo News.
  10. ^ Rosenberg, Allegra (29 October 2024). "Pesto the penguin is shedding. Here's what's next for this icon". National Geographic. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  11. ^ Kuta, Sarah (1 November 2024). "Pesto, Australia's Enormous, Beloved Baby Penguin, Is Growing Up and Losing His Downy Feathers". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  12. ^ Walrath-Holdridge, Mary (23 September 2024). "Why Pesto, a massive penguin chick, is vying to be the internet's favorite big baby". USA Today. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  13. ^ Kearney, Georgie (25 September 2024). "Katy Perry reveals the one local she wants to 'kiss' while in Melbourne". 7news. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  14. ^ Brown, Melissa (27 September 2024). "When Katy met Pesto: A pop megastar meets a mega-sized penguin". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  15. ^ Levine, Daniel S. (11 October 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Meets Pesto the Baby Penguin Who's Gone Viral for His Furry (and Hefty!) Body". People. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  16. ^ Grant, Gemma (10 October 2024). "Pesto the penguin immortalised in CBD mural". The Age. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
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