Move over Moo Deng: Penguin Pesto steals the spotlight

Among the sea of monochrome penguins at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium, one fluffy superstar is stealing the show – and the Internet can’t get enough of him. Meet Pesto, the penguin chick who’s gone from a 200-gramme hatchling to a massive 22.5 kilogrammes in just nine months!

Affectionately dubbed an “absolute unit” and a “linebacker,” Pesto’s viral fame has eclipsed even global events, with popstar Katy Perry counted among his legion of fans.

“He deserves to be famous,” says Millie Jacoby, a 25 year old Brit who’s already visited the aquarium twice to see Pesto.

Hand-fed by his foster parents, Tango and Hudson, Pesto’s enormous size – bigger than both his foster parents combined – is partly thanks to his very healthy appetite, explains marine biologist Jacinta Early. Pesto devours up to 30 fish a day, earning him the nickname, fatty.

However, Early assures fans that Pesto is perfectly healthy, describing him as “half fluff” and noting that he’ll naturally lose weight once he starts shedding his baby feathers.

Already losing some of his fluffy coat, Pesto has a lot more than just his looks going for him. He’s a social butterfly with a “cute little whistle tone” and enjoys annoying the adult penguins like any mischievous toddler.

“He’s the first to say hi to keepers and even responds to his name,” says Early.

With his media reach soaring to 5 billion people, Pesto has become a global sensation, overshadowing even the Australian Football League grand final, reported BBC News.

“Move over, Moo Deng!” jokes Olivia Wilson, who’s managing Pesto’s demanding media schedule.

In related news, in a tearful farewell, Sphen, the gentoo penguin who captivated the world as part of a famous same-sex power couple, has died at the age of 11. Sphen and his partner, Magic, shot to global fame in 2018 after falling in love at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium and later adopting and raising two chicks.