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Edward and Annie had a whirlwind courtship.
While the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of the world in 2020, their world opened up. They and other Shedd Aquarium penguins shuffled across Soldier Field, partied at birthday celebrations and, in early 2021, checked out premium Chicago restaurants.
The two rockhoppers became social media sensations when they waddled past the Shedd’s massive fish tanks on a “field trip.” They even became the subject of their own children’s book.
But the honeymoon is over. And now, they have a baby.
The penguin couple are the parents of the first rockhopper chick born at the Shedd in eight years, the aquarium said Tuesday. The chick began to break from its shell June 15 after developing for 32 days, a Shedd spokesperson wrote in a news release.
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The newborn still weighs under 2 pounds, but under the care of aquarium staff and its lovebird mom and dad, the baby is quickly growing, the aquarium said.
“The first few months of life can be crucial for the development of young penguins, so the animal care team is keeping a watchful eye on the new arrival and remains cautiously optimistic,” the news release said.
Video shared by the aquarium shows the bird chirping up at its white-chested, black-coated parents standing above. The baby bird doesn’t yet have the spiky yellow feathers that line its parents’ heads.
In another clip, aquarium staff check out the new arrival with a stethoscope. Another staffer hand-feeds the fuzzy penguin a piece of fish as it stretches its wings.
The birth comes amid a special emphasis the aquarium placed this year on breeding rockhopper penguins. The species is underrepresented in zoos and aquariums, the Shedd’s statement said.
“Every birth at the aquarium is significant, and this new arrival will contribute in untold ways to our scientific understanding of this species and to inspiring the public to respect and protect our shared blue planet,” the aquarium wrote.
Lucky guests might get a peak of the new chick, who is spending time with its parents in their Polar Play Zone exhibit.
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