ZOO in West Lothian has paid tribute to a baby girl who recently passed away by choosing her name for their new penguin chick.
Five Sisters Zoo has named their Humboldt penguin chick “Abbie”, following a suggestion from the sister of the late baby.
Abbie sadly passed away just eight days after birth, which was the same day that the chick hatched – so sister Evie suggested naming the penguin in her memory.
The zoo was running a campaign at the time to gather name suggestions for the penguin chick, before it heard about the family’s story.
A spokesperson for Five Sisters Zoo said: “We were incredibly touched by Evie’s thoughtful suggestion and her family’s courage in sharing their story”.
“It’s a privilege to be able to honour baby Abbie’s memory in this way.”
Abbie and Evie’s mum, Alanna, said: “We had our Abbie for eight days, but we filled those eight days with so much love and light, and we know she’ll live on forever in all of our hearts.”
The Zoo has said that “Little Abbie the penguin” is doing well with support from the animal team and her parents.
Abbie is now the second Humboldt penguin chick that has hatched at Five Sisters Zoo, born on 28 April 2025.
Humboldt penguins are marked as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s red list, which dates back to 1964.
The species are usually found on the coasts of Chile and Peru.
