A baby penguin has been gifted a plushie to make him feel less lonely while he waits for his siblings to arrive.
In what has been a whirlwind week for baby animals being comforted with plush toys, a new competitor has entered the ring. Meet Henry, the rare Fairy penguin chick who was born at a sealife park in Dorset, England.
The chick hatched at Sea Life Adventure Park Weymouth, where keepers say he needed a helping hand on his way into the world.
“Henry had a dramatic entrance into the world, requiring gentle assistance from our expert animal care team after struggling to break free from his shell,” the park said in an official Instagram update.
Because he is currently being hand-reared, staff introduced a soft toy penguin into his hatchery space to provide comfort while other eggs continue incubating.
Meet Henry, the baby Fairy penguin
“While Henry is being hand-reared, a cuddly toy penguin is providing comfort in the hatchery, with hopes that siblings will soon join him as other eggs hatch.”
Little Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins, are the smallest penguin species in the world and are native to Australia and New Zealand. Weymouth’s colony is the only one of its kind in Europe, making Henry’s arrival a rare event for the region.
For now, the fluffy stand-in will keep him company as the team waits to see if more chicks emerge in the coming days.
This isn’t the only baby animal that has gone viral this week, as over in Japan, a young macaque named Punch made headlines after being rejected by his mother and being comforted with donated IKEA plush toys, with updates on his progress drawing global attention.
