Internet-famous penguin Pesto celebrates first birthday at Melbourne Aquarium
Melbourne’s most famous aquatic animal is celebrating a huge milestone.
Pesto, the beloved king penguin, is no longer a baby after celebrating his first birthday on Friday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pesto the penguin turns one.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.To celebrate the chick’s special day, staff at the Melbourne Aquarium have thrown a birthday bash complete with a special jelly birthday cake presented to Pesto and all his friends.
“It’s got lots of yummy fish in it, lots of fun enrichment and fun things for him to play with,” Melbourne Aquarium education officer Catherine Bushell said.
Pesto went viral in 2024 for his overly fluffy appearance, with the penguin weighing 22.5kg when he was nine months old — more than twice the weight of his parents.
The animal attracted attention far and wide, with pop superstars Katy Perry and Olivia Rodrigo even stopping in for a visit while they were in Australia performing.
He now looks very different from when he initially made his internet debut, having shed 10kg of fur and weight.
Bushell said Pesto seemed to be aware of his celebrity status.
“He does kind of like standing by himself and preening, making sure he looks nice and beautiful so people can take lots of photos of him,” she said.
“He’s a very independent guy and I think he’s still a little kid at heart.”
An obvious sign that Pesto is growing up is his increasing interest in his female counterparts — a venture in which he has had some success with a penguin called Pudding.
Bushell said there had been lots of “flirty behaviour” between the two.
“He follows her around a lot and they sort of like to hang out and sort of groom each other and preen each other,” she said.
“There might be a bit of romance going on there.”
Pesto’s birthday celebrations will run over two days, with the first 1000 visitors to be treated with free cupcakes.
There will also be photo opportunities, a chance to meet the keepers, LEGO® workshops and regular talks about Pesto’s journey and his superstar life so far.
Originally published on 7NEWS
