April 19--Number 23 is something special in Chicago (think Michael Jordan and Ryne Sandberg). Now the Shedd Aquarium will retire the number too.
But first the penguin known as Chick No. 23 -- because he was the 23rd rockhopper penguin to hatch at the Shedd Aquarium -- needs a new name.
The Shedd is teaming up with the Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and asking hospital staff, volunteers, patients, friends and family to vote on a name. The four choices in the naming contest reflect the native areas where rockhopper penguins are found:
--Lennox -- for Isla Lennox, Chile
--Dawson -- for Isla Dawson, Chile
--Diego -- for Isla Diego de Almagro, Chile
--Javier -- for Isla Javier, Chile
Voting for the #WaddleItBe contest opened Monday, and the winning moniker will be unveiled April 25 at the hospital in honor of World Penguin Day, according to the Shedd.
Online voters must check a box to indicate they are a member of Lurie Children's Hospital's network. Another option is voting on site at Lurie Children's Hospital or the hospital's outpatient center in Lincoln Park.
The 10-month-old male penguin, hatched last June, is about 18 inches tall and weighs 4 to 6 pounds, which is average for an adult rockhopper. Once he gets the signature chrome yellow eyebrow plumes, the only way to pick him out of the crowd would be to look for the orange and white flipper bands, according to a Shedd Aquarium blog post.
It's mating season in the penguin habitat, but penguin chick No. 23 won't be ready to breed for several years. For now, he's hanging out near Ruggles, the female penguin who hatched in 2013, Lana Vanagasem, Shedd's manager of penguins, said in the post. The penguin doesn't interact much with his parents Edward and Annie, who paired up again this year and built a love nest, she said.
lvivanco@tribpub.com
