Pesto, a king Australian penguin chick at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, has gained global fame for his impressive size and cuteness.
Weighing 22 kilograms (49 pounds) at just nine months old, Pesto is the heaviest penguin chick the aquarium has ever seen.
Officials from the aquarium told the Associated Press that Pesto surpassed the combined weight of his parents, Hudson and Tango, who each weigh 11 kilograms (24 pounds).
1.9 Billion People Viewed Pesto
The cute penguin has been viewed by the public for more than 1.9 billion times on different social media platforms, especially TikTok.
Pesto has been eating heartily, consuming more than his own body weight in fish in a week—24 kilograms (53 pounds).
As he begins his fledging period, Pesto will lose his fluffy brown feathers and is expected to slim to around 15 kilograms in the next few months.
