 Baby penguins had to find their flippers for the first time this week as London zookeepers gave them a quick swimming lesson. There wasn't an armband in sight as the 11 Humboldt baby chicks dipped their feet into the water on Monday, London Zoo said. Chicks Kermit, Ron Burgundy, Stella, Piggy, Ernest, Cricket, Tiki, Ping, Pong, Sean and Karen were all born between April and May, After months tucked away in cosy nest boxes, zookeepers said they felt it was finally time to take them to the training pool. Penguin keeper Jessica Rae said: 'Covered in soft, downy feathers, newly hatched chicks aren't able to swim straight away 'But at around six-12 weeks old these fuzzy feathers are replaced by two layers of stiff, overlapping waterproof, black and white feathers – perfect for swimming. 'After tentatively inspecting the training pool, the chicks have started to test out the water this week; some were splashing around in no time, while others took a little longer to take the plunge.' Some of the chicks spent some time splashing around in the water (Picture: Youtube / London Zoo) Zookeepers said the chicks had been living in cosy nests before heading out for a dip (Picture: Youtube / London Zoo) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The chicks are Humboldt penguins, which tend to choose rocky shores near cliffs along the coast of Chile or Peru as a home. With their paddle-like feet, the penguins can zoom through even the coldest and most turbulent of currents. 'Adult Humboldt penguins can reach up to 30 miles per hour in the water,' added Jessica. 'These youngsters have some way to go but we're really pleased with the progress they're making so far. 'It's been great to see the chicks grow in confidence as their swimming ability improves.' But Humboldt penguins are considered vulnerable to extinction on the International Union for){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Baby penguins had to find their flippers for the first time this week as London zookeepers gave them a quick swimming lesson.
There wasn’t an armband in sight as the 11 Humboldt baby chicks dipped their feet into the water on Monday, London Zoo said.
Chicks Kermit, Ron Burgundy, Stella, Piggy, Ernest, Cricket, Tiki, Ping, Pong, Sean and Karen were all born between April and May,
After months tucked away in cosy nest boxes, zookeepers said they felt it was finally time to take them to the training pool.