There was a king spotting Friday at the Henry Doorly Zoo. A king penguin chick was welcomed into the Scott Aquarium.
The chick grew from an egg to a 30-pound fluffy baby penguin in four months. Since hatching in February, the chick has been hand raised by the keepers.
"This is a big day for the chick," said Dennis Pate, Henry Doorly Zoo CEO. "He moves from the back of the house and starts its socialization process in the exhibit. These chicks are almost 30 pounds, and they're as big as the adults. But they're one big fluff ball. No feathers yet. They're not waterproof. So we need to keep them in what looks like a baby playpen. It will stay there for another 3 or 4 months when it begins to feather out and socialize."
The chick's diet consists of herring.
The zoo now has 25 king penguins on display.
Video available at source
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