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London Zoo penguin chicks named for Platinum Jubilee

London Zoo PenguinLondon Zoo

Five Humboldt penguin chicks at London Zoo have been named after famous people and events from the past 70 years in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Hillary, Apollo, Bobby, Bernie and Mac are a month old and are being hand-reared by zookeepers after their parents were unable to look after them.

The chicks have spent the past four weeks indoors under a heat lamp.

Toy penguins from the zoo's giftshop have been brought in for them to snuggle up to.

London Zoo penguin chicks named for Platinum Jubilee

Penguin keeper Suzi Hyde said: "During breeding season we check the nests on Penguin Beach every day, keeping an eye out for any chicks who might not be feeding enough or whose parents are struggling to care for their brood.

"When these five chicks arrived, we decided to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee by naming them after some of the historic moments that have taken place during her incredible reign."

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The names behind the feathers

Getty Images Famous people penguins are named forGetty Images
Clockwise: Tim Berners-Lee, Bobby Moore, Edmund Hillary, Ellen MacArthur and the Apollo moon landing

Hillary was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who became the first Briton to scale Mount Everest in 1953, and another was named Apollo, to mark the moon landing in 1969.

Bobby has been named in honour of former England football captain Bobby Moore, who led the team to World Cup victory in 1966, and Bernie was named after Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web in 1989.

The fifth chick has been named Mac, after Dame Ellen MacArthur, who sailed solo around the world non-stop to set a new world record in 2005.

London Zoo The five penguin chicksLondon Zoo
In no particular order: Bernie, Bobby, Hillary, Mac, Apollo and a cuddly toy from the gift shop
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Each chick is weighed every morning and hand-fed three times a day with a "penguin milkshake" - blended fish, vitamins and minerals.

London Zoo PenguinLondon Zoo
The chicks have been increasing in weight by 10% every day

They will be weaned on to small portions of fresh fish to support their development.

"The chicks have all steadily increased in weight by 10% each day, so they're growing very quickly," added Ms Hyde.

London Zoo PenguinLondon Zoo
Each chick is weighed every morning and hand-fed three times a day

Still covered in soft grey feathers, the as yet unsexed chicks are expected to stay in the nursery until they are 10 weeks old and weigh about 3kg (6.6lbs).

The penguins will then be moved into the zoo's nursery pool, which has shallow water for swimming lessons, before eventually being introduced to the 62 other penguins at the zoo.

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