Watch the moment terrified baby #penguin learns to swim for very first time

30 January 2015
By Kara O'Neill

The cute animal was clearly scared stiff after being introduced to the water by keepers at a zoo in Russia

This amazing video captures the moment a baby penguin was taught to swim.

Super-cute Chudi had staff at the zoo in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, worried when he didn't fancy following his penguin family and pals into the water.

So after sealing him off from the rest of the penguins, two keepers became swimming instructors to teach the three-month old how to swim.

Although initially terrified, when he was finally thrown in at the deep end he seemed to enjoy himself.

And while his swimming style leaves something to be desired, he decided not to swim straight back to shore and splashed around before finally tiring and aiming for the safety of the nearby rocks.
The penguin chick, hatched in an incubator at Royev Ruchey Zoo, is from the only species that lives in Africa and is therefore more suited to hot weather.

He and his relatives will spend the winter cooped up in a heated room.


At the time of his birth, Chudi was hailed a sensation as it was the first time an African penguin threatened with extinction had been born in a Russian zoo.

CEN

Sacred: Chudi was too scared to take the plunge even after watching his family members dive in

A zoo spokesman said: "At first he couldn't do anything for himself, not even lift his head and his eyes were shut. We had to keep him in a special heated chamber so he could build up his strength and growth while feeding him on minced fish."

African penguins are monogamous birds that mate for life.

In summer Chudi's parents Marfa and Lenya built nest in an outdoor enclosure, laying an egg that was put in an incubator to protect it from the cold.

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