Too cute! African penguin chicks born at Racine Zoo

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Cuteness overload is happening at the Racine Zoo, with the news two healthy African penguin chicks hatched. 

The chicks hatched on March 6 and 8 to parents Robin and Linus. 

According to the Racine Zoo, the chicks have been growing quickly, and are already over five times the size they were when they were first hatched!

“We could not be more thrilled to welcome these new birds into the world, and to share the exciting news,” said Aszya Summers, Curator of Animal Care and Conservation Education at the Racine Zoo. “African penguins are endangered and face a variety of threats in the wild, and each penguin has an important role to play in the conservation of their species.”

Beth Heidorn, Executive Director of the Racine Zoo, said, “The African penguin chicks are doing well and their parents are doing a great job caring for them.”

In 2015, the Racine Zoo added four new African penguins to their exhibit in hopes that a larger, more robust colony would encourage breeding. The two new chicks join older brother Kobe, born at the Racine Zoo in 2016 and older sister Harper, born in 2019, in the colony.

While the chicks will be in their nests for a few more weeks as their parents work around the clock to take turns keeping them fed, you may get lucky and catch a glimpse of mom or dad coming from the nest box through the window at the African penguin exhibit at the zoo!

Exclusive penguin apparel is also available for a limited time. Youth and adult shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants are available in multiple colors. Funds raised by apparel sales will directly support the care of the penguin chicks. For more information on the chicks and apparel, CLICK HERE.