Pesto isn’t just any penguin – he’s a very special king with a big heart and an even bigger belly! Pesto has two amazing dads, Tango and Hudson. They adopted him because his biological dad was already 22 years old – that’s really old for a penguin! He might not have been around long enough to help raise Pesto, so Tango and Hudson stepped in to give him a loving home.
Why is Pesto so big?
Well, his biological dad is the biggest and oldest penguin at the Sea Life Centre where they live. His mum, Matilda, is regular-sized, but Pesto definitely takes after his dad!
Right now, Pesto weighs 23.5 kilograms – that’s more than most king penguins, who usually weigh between 9.5 and 18 kilograms. But don’t worry – this is totally normal for penguin chicks! Baby king penguins are super chubby when they’re young, and they slim down as they grow up. Since he’s such a big baby, Pesto eats 25 to 32 fish every day – that’s twice as much as an adult king penguin eats!
