Pesto (born 30 January 2024) is a king penguin living in Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium who gained notability in September 2024 due to his exceptionally large size.
| Species | King penguin |
|---|---|
| Sex | male |
| Born | 30 January 2024[1] Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne, Australia |
Life
editPesto was hatched 30 January 2024 at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium to parents Hudson and Tango,[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] Pesto was the first king penguin chick to be hatched at the aquarium since 2022.[5] Pesto was first put on display at the aquarium in April 2024.[6]
At the time of his gender reveal in September 2024, which was broadcast on social media,[7] he weighed 21 kilograms (46 lb),[8] 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 of fish per week, an average amount for a king penguin of his age.[5][6] As of 23 September 2024[update], Pesto was reported to be 90 centimetres (35 in) tall and weigh 22.5 kilograms (50 lb).[7] Despite being a chick, he weighs more than his parents Hudson and Tango combined, although he is expected to lose weight after fledging.[2] Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium partly attributed his large size to genetics, as his biological father Blake is the largest penguin at the aquarium.[4]
Pesto has received extensive attention online, becoming an Internet meme on TikTok due to his large size.[9] 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.[10]
See also
edit- Moo Deng, another baby zoo animal that gained online popularity in 2024
References
edit- ^ a b Gatluak, Nyibol (28 March 2024). "Penguin chick Pesto melts hearts at Melbourne aquarium". The Canberra Times. Australian Associated Press.
- ^ a b c "Meet Pesto: the fat baby penguin and viral superstar". BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Visit Pesto". Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Why Is Pesto the Baby Penguin So Big? The Viral Bird's Aquarium Shares the Answer". People. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ a b McGuirk, Rob (20 September 2024). "Huge Australian king penguin chick Pesto grows into social media star". Associated Press. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ a b Treisman, Rachel (20 September 2024). "A massive baby penguin named Pesto is inhaling fish and winning fans". NPR.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Williams, Chris (8 September 2024). "Australia aquarium hosts adorable gender-reveal party for penguin chick". LiveNow from Fox – via Yahoo News.
- ^ Walrath-Holdridge, Mary. "Why Pesto, a massive penguin chick, is vying to be the internet's favorite big baby". USA Today. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Kearney, Georgie (25 September 2024). "Katy Perry reveals the one local she wants to 'kiss' while in Melbourne". 7news. Retrieved 26 September 2024.