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Life

23rd Apr 2020

Baby penguins have hatched at Edinburgh Zoo, and Instagram really needed that news

Niamh McClelland

If the week is dragging its feet, the lockdown is getting you down and you’re in dire need of a pick-me-up, we have you sorted.

And it comes in the form of tiny baby penguins. Yep, you’re welcome.

Edinburgh Zoo welcomed some new family members this week, and honestly, we didn’t know how desperately we needed a dose of animal cuteness until now.

In a video uploaded to Instagram this afternoon, the zoo announced: “Our first Northern rockhopper chicks have hatched!”

“Four chicks have hatched so far and we hope there will be more good news to come. The first 30 days are critical, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on them at this sensitive time,” the post continued.

And yes, that’s the sound of us melting.

According to Dawn Nicoll, senior penguin keeper at The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo, there is actually an extra special reason to celebrate the latest development at the Scottish zoo.

“Northern rockhopper penguins are an endangered species so it is really exciting to welcome new chicks to the colony,” she explained.

Suffice to say, the zoo is currently closed to the public due to the lockdown, but that doesn’t mean animal lovers can’t take part in the penguins’ journey as the chicks can be seen on the wildlife conservation charity’s live webcams!

“It has been amazing to see how many people have tuned into the webcams so far and fantastic for them to be able to see the chicks as they grow, even if they can’t yet visit in person,” Dawn said.

Looks like we’ve found yet another way to while away the time in lockdown, folks.

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