Recently, King Penguin giant baby Pesto has quickly become a sensation online and has become a major star at the Melbourne Aquarium in Australia. Its adorable waddling gait has captured the hearts of a large number of enthusiastic fans, even catching the attention of American pop singer Katy Perry.
Perry traveled to Australia last week to perform at the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final held on September 28. During her trip, she told Channel Seven that she really wanted to kiss Pesto.
Despite being just nine months old, Pesto’s weight and size are nothing to be underestimated. Weighing in at 22.5 kilograms (50 pounds), it is heavier than the combined weight of its adopted parents. Standing at 90 centimeters in height, it makes its adopted parents pale in comparison, making Pesto appear comically large.
Pesto is covered in thick chocolate-colored fur, giving it a round and fluffy appearance. Its adorable waddling gait has quickly captured the hearts of fans worldwide.
On social media, it has garnered the attention of billions of people and has attracted visitors from around the world to the Melbourne Aquarium to catch a glimpse of this adorable giant baby.
Most of Pesto’s weight comes from its brown fur. The thick fur helps penguin chicks stay warm during winter, and as they grow, the fur will shed, and their weight will naturally decrease.
Born in January, Pesto weighed only 200 grams (7 ounces), but now, having increased its weight by over 100 times, it is the largest chick in the history of the aquarium.
The reason behind Pesto’s large size is likely due to the genetics inherited from its tall and large father. However, Jacinta Early, from the aquarium, told the BBC that Pesto’s significant weight is also partly due to its “very healthy appetite.” It can consume as many as 30 fish per day.
“If I poke it, my whole finger would completely disappear into its deep fur,” Early said.
She described Pesto as a “social butterfly” that chirps cutely non-stop, enjoys annoying adult penguins, “like any typical child.”
“It’s often the first one to ‘say hello’ to the keepers, it even responds to its name,” Early added.