Meet Pesto, the 22kg baby penguin who is creating a buzz online

There’s a big baby taking the internet by storm, and it’s of the avian variety.

Meet Pesto, the nine-month-old king penguin chick stealing hearts and driving attendance at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia.

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Pesto weighs more than his two proud parents combined, at 50 pounds. His parents, Hudson and Tango, each weigh about 25 pounds.

According to a statement from Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, Pesto is the heaviest chick the facility has ever had.

Her gender was announced to the world earlier this month when her keeper, Michaela Smale, “shoveled a mountain of fresh snow to unleash an avalanche of blue.”

According to the aquarium, Pesto has a “hearty appetite of 25 fish per day,” which contributes to his massive size.

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Pesto’s weight isn’t the only thing gaining momentum: His TikTok following has also exploded. According to a statement from the aquarium, the chick has racked up nearly 2 billion views worldwide.

Claire Burrell, General Manager of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, said of Pesto: “He has brought immense joy to everyone here at Sea Life Melbourne and penguin fans around the world. We look forward to sharing his future adventure, which will include fledging and then swimming lessons.”

As Pesto approaches adulthood, his rapid growth stagnates. The chick has already begun to lose its brown feathers, which will later be replaced by the black and white feathers typical of king penguins.

Aquarium keepers expect Pesto to lose his baby weight as he grows to about 33 pounds.

“He’s going to start losing that cute baby hair. It might take him a month or two to completely get rid of it. Then he’ll be nice and sleek and sleek,” a keeper told The Associated Press.

Pesto was born on January 31. For the rest of the portly penguin’s life, the aquarium says, “Pesto was a real treat for the public.”

According to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, king penguins weigh between 21 and 40 pounds as adults.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.