Ski Dubai to hold naming contest for 'King Penguin chick'

A newborn penguin that opened its eyes on February 17 at Mall of the Emirates’ Ski Dubai – is looking for a name.

Dubai — A newborn penguin that opened its eyes on February 17 at Mall of the Emirates’ Ski Dubai – is looking for a name. 

The new King Penguin chick is currently being looked after inside Ski Dubai’s penguin habitat. The chick is the offspring of proud parents Bubbles and Wall-E, two of Ski Dubai’s King Penguins.

Ski Dubai will be hosting a naming competition, giving all UAE residents a chance to name the chick. More details on the completion will be released shortly.

Currently, Ski Dubai is awaiting results from DNA testing to determine the gender of the chick. The results are expected in the coming weeks.

Omar El Banna, Marketing and Sales Director at Majid Al Futtaim, Leisure and Entertainment said: “We are proud to announce the birth of this King chick. The chick is living proof of the success of our Snow Penguins programme, an extension of the multi-generation breeding programme in the United States.”

King Penguins incubate the egg under a small flap of skin at the top of their feet, rather than building a nest. The parents then share the responsibility of keeping the egg warm and safe. Once the chick hatched, Bubbles and Wall-E took turns feeding the chick and our penguin experts have been closely monitoring the chick’s weight, nutrition and progress.

Peter Dickinson, Head of Ski Dubai’s Penguin Department, said: “We are very pleased to announce that the King chick is happy and healthy in Ski Dubai’s penguin habitat. In just one month, the chick’s weight has increased from 218 grams to 2,800 grams and it has become a part of the King penguin colony. The chick will not be participating in penguin encounters until it is at least one year old. There is a very specific process before this can occur and the penguin’s health and safety will continue to be our top priority.”

Ski Dubai’s penguin programme is supported by the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and every Snow Penguin guest at Ski Dubai helps support ground breaking research on the penguin species and their well being in Antarctica.