'Very affectionate:' Baby penguin to make public debut at Milwaukee County Zoo this weekend



MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County Zoo has a new member of its family -- and he could make his debut to the public this weekend.

Caty Coutant



Weighing 4.6 kilograms, this penguin is right on track. Born on Christmas Day, he's learning how the zoo works.

"He has to learn how to be a zoo penguin, so he needs to learn that people aren't scary. Food comes from people, how to not be afraid of us. That just makes him more calm, less stressed," said Caty Coutant, Zookeeper.

He's the 16th penguin chick born at the Milwaukee County Zoo -- and he's already pretty comfortable with people.

Milwaukee County Zoo





"This guy, from day one, was super chill. He started hand-feeding from us right away which is pretty unusual. Just very calm and very affectionate. I think he's going to do well," said Coutant.

The zookeepers are going to try and introduce him into the exhibit this weekend. How long he stays depends on how it goes.

But first, he needs a name. The zoo is asking the public to choose between Nutmeg, Chestnut, and Flurry.

If you want to help name him, you can vote online. Voting closes on Sunday, Feb. March 1.



The zoo says they will have a sign posted if the new penguin is out this weekend.