Fox News: Social media sensation Pesto the penguin chick begins molting baby feathers, enters 'awkward teen' phase

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Social media sensation Pesto the penguin chick begins molting baby feathers, enters 'awkward teen' phase

Pesto the massive king penguin chick has begun his molting process, losing the fluffy brown feathers which defined his look adored the world over on social media.......                    ...                        ...A viral internet sensation has debuted a brand-new look for his adoring fans to admire the world over.......Pesto the king Penguin chick at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login has begun molting his fluffy baby feathers, sporting what handlers have dubbed a "full body Mohawk."......The young penguin has stunned the world with his impressive size, weighing 49 pounds, which is more than both his parents combined. His parents, Hudson and Tango, each weigh 24 pounds.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Pesto was born earlier this year on January 31 and has since taken the internet by storm with his 25 fish per day diet......."Pesto's molt is expected this time of year," said Jacinta Early, Education Supervisor with SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium to Fox News Digital. "King penguin chicks molt just in time to learn how to swim for the summer! It's always fun to see the progression as it slightly changes depending on the individual." ......"Pesto has had a sweet wizard cloak, a bald patch, a feather boa style and the last I saw it looked like a full body Mohawk. I like to call it their awkward teen phase while they're trying to figure out who they are as they approach adulthood," added Early.......When a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login molts, its fluffy brown feathers are shed to reveal waterproof ones that are more sleek to the skin. king Penguin chicks first molting is expected around 10 months of age and the process can last up to 6 weeks.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......The molting process takes up a lot of energy, so King Penguin chicks rely on stored fat and often lose weight while their feathers are replaced. Oftentimes, penguin parents also reduce feeding for their chicks during the molting stage.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login has taken a hit from Pesto's molting, with many users on social media lamenting how the big chick is becoming a big adult penguin too quickly for their liking.......One viral video shared on TikTok by user @danalamb has over 2 million likes and is captioned, "Pesto is growing up," with a crying emoji......."Nobody speak to me for five to seven business days I need to emotionally recover," wrote one user.......According to SEA Life Melbourne Aquarium, Pesto has amassed over 2 billion views worldwide from his content creation.......It is unclear when Pesto will complete his molt and officially become an adult, as well as what his weight will be at the end of the process.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......A king penguin's first molt is "an important milestone" in the aquatic bird's life, marking their transition to ultimately forage for their own food and leave the colony....

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