A ‘mischievous’ penguin chick named ‘Sea-cat’ has made its debut at the New England Aquarium
"This confident and mischievous juvenile has a cute goofiness that is high even by the elevated bar of penguin chick standards!"
The New England Aquarium debuted a new critter this week whose “cute goofiness” has charmed biologists and tourists alike.
The rockhopper penguin chick, “Sea-cat,” got its name from a term European sealers used to describe the birds.
Sea-cat sits with a stuffed animal version of an adult rockhopper.
Rockhoppers are known for their crowns of yellow, but Sea-cat is too young to have grown those characteristic feathers yet. (The penguin from “Happy Feet” voiced by Robin Williams, Lovelace, is a rockhopper.)
The aquarium’s newest chick likes to hang out with a stuffed animal version of what it might look like in the future.
Video shows the baby bird waiting not-so-patiently as researchers place it in a Tupperware for weighing, enjoying fish snacks, flapping its flippers indignantly, and belly-flopping into the water.
“This confident and mischievous juvenile has a cute goofiness that is high even by the elevated bar of penguin chick standards!” a release read.
Officials said the 2-month-old was too much of a handful for its parents, so aquarium staff stepped in to raise it.
It’s rare for aquarium biologists to act as surrogates, the release said, but Sea-cat’s parents couldn’t keep up with its needs, so staff intervened when the chick was 20 days old.
“The penguin staff decided to step in to hand raise this particular chick earlier than we normally do in order to give it the best chance for success,” penguin exhibit manager Eric Fox said in the release.
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Rockhopper penguins are generally about 18 inches tall and weigh 5 to 10 pounds, according to the aquarium. They generally live around 10 years, but some have lived up to 30.
The New England Aquarium is home to more than 80 penguins. Sea-cat can be identified by the blue and orange band on its right flipper.
