AssetID: 54154606
Headline: Big Baby! Penguin Chick Goes Viral After Outweighing His Parents Demolishing 25 Fish A Day
Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE. CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE.** A penguin chick has taken the internet by storm after surpassing the weight of his parents at just nine months old. Pesto, a king penguin, has become the star attraction at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia. Last week, he astonished visitors by consuming more than his own body weight in fish. Over 1.9 billion people globally have watched videos of him on social media, with many fans saying they "can't wait to see him grow." At nine months old, Pesto weighs 22kg, matching the combined weight of his parents, Hudson and Tango. According to the aquarium's website, Pesto has a "hearty appetite of 25 fish a day" and holds the title of the largest chick Sea Life Melbourne has ever seen. A recent video shared by the aquarium featured Pesto's "gender reveal," noting that zookeepers cannot determine a king penguin's gender just by looking. Instead, they must send off a small blood sample for testing. Social media users have chimed in, with some calling him the "definition of oh lawd he comin", referencing a popular meme about hefty animals. Others were curious about the size of the egg he hatched from. As Pesto approaches adulthood, his rapid growth is expected to slow. He has begun shedding his brown juvenile feathers, which will be replaced by the sleek black and white plumage of a young adult. His keepers anticipate that during this transformation, he will slim down to around 15kg. "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 education supervisor Jacinta Early. Pesto was born on 31 January, the only king penguin chick to hatch at the aquarium this year. Adult king penguins typically weigh between 9.5kg and 18kg, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.
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