ABQ BioPark Zoo welcomes first-ever baby penguin

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A new member joined the penguin family at the ABQ BioPark Zoo a few weeks ago.

The little bird is getting a warm welcome to the world now that the Penguin Chill exhibit is partially reopened. It had been closed since a bird flu scare back in October.

“We’re at a stage now where we feel comfortable opening the building back up to allow limited access, so everyone can have the opportunity to try, really try very hard to see the baby,” said Ashley Bauer, the assistant curator of birds for the BioPark.

The baby’s parents, Digit and Killian, belong to the Gentoo species of penguins.

“We don’t name it until we know the sex of it, if it’s a boy or a girl, and then it’s penguin superstition to name before you kind of get to know its personality and what it’s like,” Bauer said.

The baby, for now, is mostly just eating and sleeping. In a few weeks, they should be up and moving a bit more with his penguin family.

If you plan to visit the BioPark to try to see the baby, only the Penguin Chill underwater viewing area is open right now.