Penguin that hatched during winter blast named Blizzard

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Zoo has named a newly hatched king penguin Blizzard because it arrived amid a winter blast.

The Kansas City Star reports that the chick emerged Sunday at the zoo’s Helzberg Penguin Plaza, an indoor exhibit that allows visitors to observe the birds through glass.

The hatching is the first of a king penguin egg laid at the zoo’s $15 million exhibit since it opened in 2013.

Another king penguin hatched at the zoo last year but it was from a surplus egg provided by the Saint Louis Zoo. It was incubated by zoo staff.

Blizzard’s parents took turns holding the egg under their bellies to keep it warm.

Kings are the second-largest species of penguins, growing to be about 3 feet tall and weighing 30-45 pounds.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com