Pesto the penguin has taken over the internet as the fluffy baby is capturing hearts. The new social media celebrity has become a star attraction at an Australian aquarium. The king penguin chick went viral for the unusually enormous size and has been racking up views online.
Earlier this month, Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium finally revealed Pesto’s gender — a boy! After he broke the record and officially became the aquarium’s biggest penguin chick, the center also explained why the social media star is so big.
How much does Pesto the Penguin weigh?
Sea Life Melbourne shared on its website that Pesto is the largest penguin chick at the aquarium. He weighs a whopping 21 kg at just nine months old. He keeps up the impressive weight by eating 25 fish a day. The center notes Pesto is a huge hit with guests and fans from across the globe.
Per AP News, Pesto’s parents, Hudson and Tango weigh 11 kg each. Meanwhile, the penguin chick weighs almost as much as both his parents combined. However, Pesto’s big diet is not a concern as veterinary advice states that the quantity is healthy for a chick approaching adulthood.
Sea Life Melbourne notes there are many factors behind Pesto’s unusual weight. Pesto’s biological dad, Blake, is the aquarium’s biggest and oldest penguin. Besides that, the star penguin has had “amazing parents raising him!” Sea Life Melbourne states that the reason behind Pesto’s weight is the “combination of good genes and good parents.”
However, he is expected to lose a lot of it when he fledges, which means developing his adult feathers. According to AP News, Pesto’s keepers have predicted he may trim down to around 15 kg in the process of losing his baby brown feathers.
Nonetheless, Pesto is expected to remain a sought-after social media star as he continues to melt hearts across the world.
