Loveland Living Planet Aquarium welcomes baby penguin
Jul 2, 2024, 6:00 AM
(Loveland Living Planet Aquarium)
DRAPER, Utah — After a rough first month of life, a baby penguin born at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is healthy and thriving.
The penguin chick was born June 4. According to an aquarium press release, penguin chicks are “notoriously fragile” and have a survival rate of 30 to 50% in their first year of life.
At around two weeks, the baby showed signed of illness and was treated for pneumonia and anemia.
After weeks of illness and dedicated treatment, the aquarium reported Monday that the chick is “strong and growing.”
Born from a penguin dating show
Back in March 2024, the aquarium put on a TikTok-based dating series following their penguin’s mating season. The show was called “Love on Thin Ice,” and followed 20 gentoo penguins navigating love in a penguin colony.
@livingplanetaquariumut Love on Thin Ice | episode 1 Meet the penguins! #penguins #scamperthepenguin #foryou #greenscreen #spring #couples #babypenguins ♬ original sound – Living Planet Aquarium
Drama abounded as TikTok viewers watched penguins, like Coco, Scamper and Poppy switch from partner to partner.
Ultimately, the show came to the conclusion that penguins do not, in fact, mate for life.
But, at the very least, they got a baby penguin out of the whole ordeal.
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