Baby Gentoo Penguin Born In Australia (VIDEO)

Animals are just so much cuter when they're too tiny to even stand alone on a scale. Australia welcomed the birth of the country's first Gentoo penguin last week at Melbourne Aquarium. In this Today Show video, the chick's father watches as the baby is placed in a container for weighing, before being quickly returned to the concerned parent.

According to National Geographic, Gentoo penguins are found in the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands. Unfortunately, Gentoo penguins are disappearing off island enclaves, possibly due to pollution and disrupted fisheries. The penguin is ranked as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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Comments

[Edy Williams]

10:31 PM on 11/28/2010

a true new treasure,in australia, with no Snow? A miracle. Hope to see more of this tot. What do you think they named her or him? wHAT BOUT "PENNY"?

[AntonioSaucedo]

09:16 PM on 11/27/2010

The beak, did you see the beak on that baby? Simply awesome!

[NVEnvy07]

09:02 PM on 11/27/2010

Way to go Australia!! So adorable.

[sadie and boo]

08:38 PM on 11/27/2010

I love how baby animals always unite readers :)

[mtrav]

10:28 PM on 11/27/2010

Absolutely. :)

[pooka]

07:44 PM on 11/27/2010

I WANT one! I'll just have to content myself with baby ducks in the spring. I hope this little sweetie thrives.

[nellre]

07:35 PM on 11/27/2010

"Unfortunately, Gentoo penguins are disappearing off island enclaves, possibly due to pollution and disrupted fisheries. The penguin is ranked as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. "

No mention of climate change?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u5bujVvM8k

[mtrav]

10:29 PM on 11/27/2010

Why bother, it would only start an argument.

[PelePele10]

06:57 PM on 11/27/2010

I would love to be a penguin. They are sooo unbelievably cute!! Penguins and Pandas, they are my bucketlist of births to watch!!

[KJLSanDiego]

07:42 PM on 11/27/2010

the baby panda is so small!

[AgingLady]

02:35 PM on 11/27/2010

Ahhh. This is what I love about the web. Great photos I would never see otherwise. Sweet penguin.

[rlkinny]

12:45 PM on 11/27/2010

I think the penguin that is shown as the father is actually a King Penguin, not a Gentoo.

[redsoxpagan]

01:04 PM on 11/27/2010

The supposed father was probably a King, maybe an Emperor, but it definitely was NOT a Gentoo! Who edits these things? Shame on them either for such ignorance or trying to pull a fast one.

[rlkinny]

03:10 PM on 11/27/2010

I think they just used a photo of the King penguin. I expect the "real dad" was a Gentoo since they're not known to mate out of species.
I agree with you about the editing. I expect the Melbourne Aquarium was the one who released the photos -- they definitely should have known better.

[Rosewren]

05:30 PM on 11/27/2010

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/Research/globec/main_cruises02/lmg0205/pod/gentoo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/Research/globec/main_cruises02/lmg0205/pod/POD11sept.htm&usg=__0SemPqBAW6b5ZGqcmZVxuNoW0IQ=&h=600&w=563&sz=24&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=17gjTtd2_jzcvM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphotos%2Bgentoo%2Bpenguin%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1271%26bih%3D819%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=307&vpy=57&dur=6555&hovh=232&hovw=217&tx=121&ty=172&ei=VIXxTOKnF-WPnAfjkKiBCg&oei=VIXxTOKnF-WPnAfjkKiBCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

This is a photo of a Gentoo, looks the same to me.

[julieintx]

07:32 PM on 11/29/2010

Yes, that was a King. That reporter is an idi ot.

The birds standing around when the chick was pulled out to be weighed were Gentoos.

[julieintx]

07:42 PM on 11/29/2010

Also the bird that was brooding the chick was a Gentoo, obviously, and it could have been the father since both sexes incubate and brood.

[yannoux97]

12:16 PM on 11/27/2010

So adorable :)