Today, biologists at the California Academy of Sciences debuted an adorable new addition to their African penguin exhibit: a two-month-old male chick who just now waddled out of the private nest he has been sharing with his parents.
The little guy was hatched to two proud parents on January 28th of this year and has spent the past two months getting to know his family. (Meaning he was swaddled in love notes during the Academy's yearly Valentine's/nesting material day back in February.) When SFist checked in on the little guy this morning via the Academy's live penguin cam, he looked a little timid about hopping into the water in the exhibit, but we're sure he'll work up the courage to jump in any minute now. In the meantime, here he is getting a checkup, looking all gray and downy-soft:
He doesn't have a name yet, but you can suggest one on the Academy's Facebook contest.
For more adorable Sphenisciformes, be sure to check back this Summer when the new additions to the San Francisco Zoo's Magellanic penguin colony waddle out in the annual March of the Penguins.
Previously: All penguin coverage on SFist.