SEA LIFE London Aquarium is delighted to announce the pitter-patter of tiny penguin feet as its new arrival has been spotted waddling its way into the hearts of visitors and staff alike.
Born under the watchful eyes of its doting penguin parents Juno and Fry, the newest resident is already stealing the show with its pint-sized charm and fluffy feathers. The little bundle of joy, who hatched on 9th June, is growing stronger by the day and is currently weighing in at just under 2kg.
Juno and Fry, who have both parented chicks with different penguin partners previously, are navigating the challenges that come with rearing a chick under the watchful eye of the animal care team, who are monitoring the chick’s growth and weight gain to ensure peak penguin performance.
Although the sex of the new chick will not be known until later in the year – so naming them is currently on hold – they are settling in well with the rest of the Gentoo colony, which also includes same sex-couple Marama and Rocky, who adopted Ziggy back in 2019, and Ripley and Elton who were the most recent penguin pair to lay eggs in 2021.
On welcoming the new chick to SEA LIFE London Aquarium, General Manager Catherine Pritchard said: “We are thrilled to welcome this fluffy little addition to our penguin family, which has filled us all with much egg-citement. We can’t wait to see the chick grow and develop under the watchful eyes of its proud parents, Juno and Fry.
“The continued success of our Gentoo breeding programme here at SEA LIFE London Aquarium is down to the fantastic work of our expert animal care team and we look forward to our guests witnessing first-hand the adorable wobbles, playful splashes and hear the heart-melting chirps as the new chick begins its journey in our penguin colony.”
The newest member to SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s colony of Gentoo penguins is the latest chick to be born at the attraction following many successful breeding seasons. The successful breeding is due in part to the strong European collaborative conservation programme that the London Aquarium is involved with, which resulted in six of the colony being moved to Denmark in 2022.
Gentoo penguins are great ambassadors for all wildlife found on the Antarctic Peninsula, a location which is under great threat from climate change, microplastic pollution and the negative effects of human activity.
SEA LIFE centres globally care for over 160,000 animals and over 4,000 different species. The teams look after ethical sourcing, scientific research, rehoming and rescues, and breeding programmes. Every year, they breed over 3,500 animals, rescue around 200 seals and turtles, and release over 150 animals into the wild. The teams’ work has a positive long-term impact on the conservation of threatened species.
SEA LIFE London Aquarium, situated on the South Bank, is open seven days a week. For the latest opening times, feeding times, prices and more see http://www.visitsealife.com/london/
