Ohio zoo welcomes adorable new chick ahead of World Penguin Day

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Just in time for World Penguin Day, an Ohio zoo has welcomed an adorable new chick.

>> Read more trending news

According to WBNS-TV, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium took to social media last week to announce the birth of a baby Humboldt penguin, which hatched March 20.

“Since hatching, the penguin chick has been growing FAST!” the zoo wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “Due to the unique situation of bringing all of the birds in our care indoors during the presence of avian influenza, our animal care team is hand-raising the penguin chick and will slowly introduce it to the penguin colony.”

The zoo said a blood sample collected from the unnamed chick earlier this month will allow staffers to determine whether the baby is male or female.

“Our animal nutrition specialists are providing the best fish-based formula for the penguin chick, who is now transitioning to a small fish diet. (The chick has excellent vocal abilities to let the keepers know when it is hungry!),” the zoo added. “The penguin chick is also developing strong muscles to sit up tall and walk around more. Send the penguin chick your warmest wishes, and stay tuned for future updates!”

The announcement came just days ahead of World Penguin Day, held annually on April 25. The Global Penguin Society previously described the occasion as “a date to raise awareness about the importance of protecting all penguin species in the world.”

Several zoos, wildlife organizations, companies and animal lovers celebrated the “holiday” by sharing facts and photos of the aquatic birds with the hashtag #WorldPenguinDay. Here are some of those posts:

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 11

Photos: 10 adorable penguin pics in honor of World Penguin Day In this Jan. 22, 2015 photo, a Gentoo penguin feeds its baby at Station Bernardo O'Higgins in Antarctica. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

©2022 Cox Media Group