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The Deep: Hull aquarium's gentoo penguin chick dies

News imageThe Deep Baby penguin at The DeepThe Deep
The penguin chick, pictured on the day it was born, died over the weekend, staff at The Deep in Hull say

A penguin chick which hatched a week ago at an aquarium in Hull has died, the tourist attraction has said.

The baby, a sub-species of the gentoo penguin, was born at The Deep on 18 June as part of an aquarium breeding programme.

The attraction said the chick died over the weekend despite keepers "diligently monitoring, measuring and nurturing" the young penguin.

"Unfortunately, the chick wasn't strong enough to survive," The Deep said.

The gentoo chick was a member of the sub-species known as P.p ellsworthi, which in the wild inhabits the Antarctic Peninsula and its nearby islands.

News imageThe Deep Penguin dad Rapha nesting at The DeepThe Deep
Dad Rapha and mum Diana had been taking it in turns to cover the chick in the nest

"The first few weeks of a chick's life are exceptionally delicate and, although sad, it's not uncommon to lose chicks during this brooding stage," a spokesperson for the attraction said.

"A big thank you goes to our penguin team, who support the gentoo colony every single day, and to all of our visitors who came to see the chick and continue to support The Deep."

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