Baby penguin presents itself at Vienna Zoo

Wildlife fans got their first p-p-p-peek at this fluffy newborn King Penguin chick in Austria after he went on show for the first time in Vienna’s Schonbrunn Zoo.

The chick -already 10 inches tall (25 cm) – has previously been hidden by the flaps of skin both parents use under their tummies to insulate their newly hatched chicks until their feathers fluff up.

After an approving look from mum, the youngster waddled out to meet its new fans.

Zoo director Dagmar Schratter explained: “King penguins don’t build nests. Instead both parents carry the egg around on their feet protected by the flap.”

“The chick hatches in this flap and after around eight weeks it can leave but it has to keep coming back until its feathers become thicker,” she added.

The youngster –  which has not been named yet – won’t take its first swim for another nine months once its adult feathers have grown.

“We don’t know whether the chick is male or female yet. It’s eating well and its parents are being very attentive so we think this is going well,” said one keeper.