MIWLAUKEE — A little birdie told us there’s something new at the Milwaukee County Zoo, and we’re flipping out.
A baby Gentoo penguin hatched at the zoo on Dec. 17, the zoo announced Thursday.
The chick, who hasn’t been named yet, was born to parents Fiona and Oscar. Milwaukee County Zoo’s veterinary team will determine the baby penguin’s sex through a blood sample when it’s between one to three months old.
The chick is growing fast, too. It was 107 grams when it was born, and by Dec. 21, it weighed 200 grams.
Right now, guests can visit the zoo’s “Aviary,” located near the “Seal and Sea Lions Show,” to see the chick as he continues to grow for the next few days. The zoo said later this month, the baby penguin will be taken off exhibit for “fledging.” During the time, zookeepers will teach it how to eat independently and work on other training. The zoo expects to reintroduce the baby penguin to the public about four to six weeks later. That’s about the same time its waterproof feathers will grown in, too.
Gentoo penguins are “curious, active birds” native to Antarctica. They’re considered “stable” in the wild. Milwaukee County zookeepers said the Gentoos are “always up to something,” and are excited to welcome the little one home.