The zoo team at Sewerby Hall and Gardens are delighted to announce that a name has been chosen for the new, female Humboldt penguin chick.
Following a lively public vote which took place on Sewerby Hall and Gardens’ social media, the name Pebble took the lead and has been chosen as the winning name.
The public were given the exciting opportunity to vote between the names Pebble and Winnie, both of which had their own special meanings.
The zoo team are over the moon with the public’s choice. The name Pebble was put forward due to the chick being the smallest penguin in the colony in contrast to her big brother Bumble who is by far the biggest.
Pebble is a fitting name as the penguin chick is tiny and grey, just like a pebble which can be found on the nearby Bridlington coastline. The name also fits perfectly with the names of the chick’s older siblings Pickle, Crackle and Bumble.
Parents of Pebble, Sigsbee and Twinnie are extremely popular at the zoo and have successfully raised many chicks over the years. The zoo team were unsure whether Twinnie would lay an egg this year as she is now 23 years of age, however staff were overjoyed to find that Twinnie had laid an egg on Tuesday, 4 March.
Pebble is a healthy addition to the ever-growing penguin colony at the zoo, she hatched on Tuesday, 15 April and left the nest on Saturday, 21 June to explore her surroundings for the first time and have a swim in the pool.
Head zookeeper John Pickering said: ‘’We would like to thank the public for casting their vote and we are delighted with the winning name.
‘’Its heart-warming to see how much the public like to get involved with helping us to name the chicks and we really appreciate the input.
‘’Pebble is a wonderful addition to the penguin colony and we are sure that she will bring new and returning visitors lots of joy over the coming years.’’
Humboldt penguins are classed as vulnerable to extinction, so Pebble been greeted with great enthusiasm and the team are pleased to see her thrive within the colony.
