A 4-day-old penguin has a serious namesake to live up to. The baby penguin, who lives at the Cincinnati Zoo, was named for David Bowie on the legendary singer's 69th birthday, two days before he passed away. On January 8, the zoo posted a photo of penguin Bowie, explaining, "Elvis and Bowie were popular suggestions because today is the birth date of both Elvis Presley and David Bowie. The penguin keepers chose Bowie because we already have a king penguin named Elvis."
Bowie is the first baby animal born at the zoo in 2016. The adorable fluff ball is a fairy penguin, and weighed under 2 ounces, according to the Associated Press.
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Meet Bowie, the first Zoo Baby of 2016! Elvis and Bowie were popular suggestions because today is the birth date of...
Posted by Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Friday, January 8, 2016
Handlers are making sure the penguin is exposed to the late Bowie's legacy. Yesterday, the zoo posted a photo of Bowie on Instagram captioned, "The penguin chick's name has since taken on added meaning. Keepers even played David Bowie music for the chick — who's gender won't be confirmed for several weeks."