An African penguin chick has hatched at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, marking the 53rd chick born at the facility. The chick joins Oscar and Duffy, birds hatched at the aquarium, it was announced last month.

To celebrate the latest arrival, the aquarium is asking the public to help name the male chick through a charitable naming contest that will benefit penguin conservation efforts.

Aquarium visitors can vote in person on their favorite name from four options selected by the Birds & Mammals team:

  • Scrappy
  • Zero
  • Flounder
  • Toothless

Voting will take place through donation boxes, with proceeds benefiting AZA SAFE African Penguins and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds.

The contest closes Jan. 19, and the winning name will be announced Jan. 20, which is Penguin Awareness Day.

The chick hatched Nov. 21, 2025 to parents Mushu and Hubert, who also parented one of the chicks announced in December 2024, Shubert.

The name options follow a “dragons and sidekicks” theme, honoring the mother Mushu, who is named after the Disney dragon sidekick character.

“We are very excited for Mushu and Hubert to raise their second-ever chick,” Maddie Olszewski-Pohle, a biologist II focusing on African penguins, said in a written statement. “Both parents did an exceptional job feeding and caring for this chick, who is the biggest of the season.”

The birth comes as African penguins face increasing threats, the aquarium reports. The species was reclassified as critically endangered in October 2024 by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss and environmental changes.

Experts warn that African penguins could be functionally extinct by 2035 without continued conservation action.

Adventure Aquarium participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which works to ensure healthy, genetically diverse populations in human care.

Like the two chicks announced in December, Oscar and Duffy, the newest arrival will remain behind the scenes until it develops waterproof feathers and weather conditions allow.

Guests can follow the chicks’ progress on Instagram for updates and behind-the-scenes looks as they grow.