Adorable new baby penguins are thriving at Blair Drummond Safari Park

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Two adorable baby penguins have been born at Blair Drummond Safari Park to the delight of staff.Bubba was born to parents Forest and Rocky on June 8, followed by Rossco to parents Sheldon and Freckles on June 23.The Humboldt penguin chicks join earlier chick Nugget, who was born in April and is almost fully grown.The park’s dedicated keepers have been closely monitoring the trio since they hatched, weighing them regularly to ensure they are healthy, eating well and growing at the expected rate.Bubba currently weighs around 2kg and Rossco weighs 1kg, while Nugget weighs more than both of them at 3.3kg.Jen Carpenter, penguin team leader at Blair Drummond, said: “It’s always a joy to welcome new chicks into our penguin family.“Bubba and Rossco are growing fast and it’s incredible to see their progress.“We look forward to watching them develop and eventually join the rest of the colony.“Our team is dedicated to ensuring they receive the best care possible.”Humboldt penguins have 40-day incubation periods, grow to 26-28 inches and live for around 20 years.

In the wild they can be found along the coasts of Chile and Peru in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean. Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.

A park spokesperson added: “Our dedicated team of keepers has been keeping a close eye on Bubba and Rossco since they hatched.

As part of their care regime, we regularly weigh the chicks to make sure they are healthy, eating well, and growing as they should.“Right now, we place the chicks on the scales, but soon they’ll be trained to step onto the scales by themselves, just like the rest of our penguins.“Penguin chicks grow quickly, and this was clearly demonstrated in a recent weighing session.