Meet Pesto: the giant baby penguin taking over social media

Somewhere in Australia, a penguin has become an absolute superstar thanks to his hilariously large size. Read on to get the scoop on the legendary chick named Pesto.

There he is- the penguin chick at the Melbourne Aquarium has already outgrown his huge parents and become a fan favorite.

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

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The penguin everyone’s talking about is Pest, a king penguin living at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium. According to the aquarium’s Instagram, even celebrities like Katy Perry have visited Melbourne just to catch a glimpse of this "VIP (Very Important Penguin)."

Image: Pest and Katy Perry posing together, sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

King penguin chicks are covered in fluffy brown feathers and are usually chubbier than the adults. As they mature, they shed their down and slim down into the classic penguin shape. But according to CNN, Pest has already reached 3 feet (90 cm) tall, and it’s clear he’s going to be a “big boy.”

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

Pest already weighs 50 pounds (22.5 kg)—about as much as an elementary school kid. National Geographic reports that adult king penguins typically weigh between 30 and 44 pounds (14–20 kg), so Pest is definitely on the larger side.

Zookeeper Mikaela Smail told CNN: "I think he’s always going to be a big boy," explaining that "he will shrink and slim down a little but he’s already significantly taller than his dad."

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

Of course, with great size comes a great appetite. According to CNN, Pesto eats four meals a day, downing about eight fish per meal—twice what an adult penguin usually eats.

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

As for why Pesto is so huge, it seems genetics are to thank. His father is one of the largest penguins in SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium’s history, according to CNN.

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Still, the aquarium staff didn’t expect Pesto to grow this much. BBC reports that zookeeper Jacinta Earley commented, "It's a combination of nature [and] nurture, really," the marine biologist explains.

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

While this is a comically huge penguin, a lot of it is fluff. "If I poked him, my entire finger would completely [disappear] deep in his feathers,” Early added.

Image: A 28 lb penguin in 1952

Since it’s hard to tell a penguin’s gender just by looking at them, blood tests are needed. For Pesto’s big reveal, the aquarium prepared a large cake, and when it was sliced, the blue frosting inside confirmed he was a boy.

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

Interestingly, Pesto isn’t being raised by his biological parents, but by a younger foster couple named Tango and Hudson. Thanks to the love from his adoptive parents and the care of the zookeepers, Pesto is well on his way from being a fluffy chick to a strong adult penguin.

Zookeeper Smail also told CNN, ““Sometimes they become quite independent teenagers, so maybe he’s ready for his bad boy phase."

With his giant, stuffed-animal-like appearance, Pesto has taken social media by storm and captured fans worldwide. We can’t wait to see him as a fully grown penguin and make headlines all over again!

Image: sealifemelbourneaquarium / Instagram

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