Taronga Zoo is delighted to announce the birth of eight Little Penguin chicks, with four of them making their debut to the public this week.

Each year Taronga themes the names of their Little Penguin chicks, and this year took inspiration from the land of cheese. The first chicks in the penguin exhibit, include Parmesan, Pecorino, Gouda and Gorgonzola, who have all enjoyed swimming around in their home at Taronga Sydney.

More adorable chicks are set to join the first group, with Tasty, Haloumi, Burrata and Bocconcini, currently learning to feed from Zookeepers before they go out onto the exhibit. This process is vital so they develop the necessary skills to feed and Zookeepers can also conduct regular health checks on the chicks as they develop.

The Zookeepers are happy to report the Little Penguin chicks are all healthy, and thoroughly enjoying their new home. “The four chicks were so excited to get into the water, and haven’t looked back,” said Lindsay Wright Marine Zookeeper.

Lindsay added “We have more eggs being incubated, so we’ll have even more chicks before the breeding season is over! It’s a busy time down at the penguin exhibit over summer and we’re excited to see more penguin chicks make their way into the group and one day become parents themselves.

In NSW, Little Penguins face threats from both land and sea, with threats to their habitat from development, human interference and predators like dogs. While in the sea, they face threats from pollution and boats.

Little Penguin chicks are born with a crown of down feathers across their head and shoulders, how-ever lose this as they mature and learn to feed themselves. The chicks can be seen at the Penguin exhibit at Taronga Sydney.