Meet Pesto, the 49-pound baby penguin going viral online
Pesto the king penguin chick has waddled his way into the hearts of TikTok users and aquarium goers alike at a whopping 49 pounds, more than his proud parents combined.
There's a big baby taking the internet by storm, and he's of the avian variety.
Meet Pesto, the nine-month-old king penguin chick stealing hearts and bumping up attendance at the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia.
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Pesto weighs more than both his proud parents combined at a staggering 49 pounds. His parents, Hudson and Tango, each weigh about 24 pounds.
According to a statement from the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, Pesto is the heaviest chick the facility has ever had.
His gender was announced to the world earlier this month when his keeper, Michaela Smale, "shovel[ed] away a mountain of fresh snow to unleash an avalanche of blue."
According to the aquarium, Pesto has a "hearty appetite of 25 fish a day," contributing to his massive size.
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Pesto's weight isn't the only thing that's growing in size--his online following on social media site TikTok has blown up too. According to an aquarium statement, the chick has amassed nearly 2 billion views worldwide.
Claire Burrell, General Manager of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, said of Pesto, "he has brought immense joy to everyone here at Sea Life Melbourne and to penguin fans around the world. We look forward to sharing his future adventure – which will include fledging and then swimming lessons."
As Pesto approaches adulthood, his rapid growth will plateau as a fledgling. The chick has already begun molting its brown feathers, which will then be replaced by the black and white ones typical of king penguins.
Keepers at the aquarium anticipate Pesto to drop his baby weight as he matures to around 33 pounds.
"He’s going to start losing that really adorable baby fluff. It might take him one to two months to really get rid of it. Then he’ll be nice and sleek and streamlined," said one keeper to the Associated Press.
Pesto hatched into the world on January 31. For the rest of the portly penguin's time as a chick, the aquarium says "Pesto has been a true crowd-pleaser."
According to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, king penguins weigh between 21 pounds and 40 pounds as adults.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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