PREVIEW

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. At nine months old, Pesto weighs 22kg, matching the combined weight of his parents, Hudson and Tango. Last week, he astonished visitors by consuming more than his 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.". 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. 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.