Lincoln Park Zoo reveals chick’s gender, name on World Penguin Day

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The Lincoln Park Zoo’s African penguin chick at 21 days old. | Lincoln Park Zoo photo

In celebration of World Penguin Day, the Lincoln Park Zoo announced the name and gender of its newest chick on Wednesday.

The African penguin chick is a boy and has been named Oliver.

The chick, who was named by Lincoln Park Zoo Trustee Mayari Pritzker, is the offspring of mother Robben and father Preston.

His gender was determined after a blood sample was sent to a lab for genetic analysis, according to the zoo.

“Bird keepers have been slowly introducing Oliver to the rest of the colony behind the scenes,” the zoo said, though he may be seen by guests intermittently as soon as this week.

“Keepers are closely monitoring the chick, his parents and the other members of the cozy colony during this process.”

Keepers are also introducing Oliver to a laser pointer, which elicits natural penguin behaviors.

The chick is the first-ever endangered African penguin chick hatched and reared at the zoo’s Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove, which opened in October 2016 and is home to about 15 African penguins.

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