This little Penguin chick hatched at Perth Zoo on July 29. Its parents took turns sitting on the egg and caring for the chick in their burrow. And once it hatched, they provided excellent care; the chick grew very quickly, weighing over 1 kg by the time it was five weeks old. These photos were taken weekly, starting on July 20 when the chick was one day old, ending at the age of five weeks. Very soon the chick will emerge from the burrow, ready to take its first swim! Its sex is still not known. 

Penguins are found around the southern coast of Australia and around New Zealand. While listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, they are threatened by changes to their coastal environments, predation by dogs, cats, foxes and rats, and become entangled in discarded fishing line and plastic bags. Perth Zoo is part of a regional breeding program for the species and has had many successful births over the years. 

Photo Credit: Perth Zoo