Cute alert: A penguin gets ready to be weighed (Picture: Chester Zoo)

When it comes to adorable animals, baby penguins named after characters from hit TV show Dr Who have got to be high up the cute scale.

The newly born Humboldt penguins are the newest arrivals at Chester Zoo and are the first to hatch this year.

New arrivals: Davros and Dalek (Picture: Chester Zoo)

The chicks are named after icons from BBC sci-fi show Dr Who, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Doctor was the first of the penguins, which are an endangered South African species, to be born and weighs just 66g. He was soon joined by Tardis, Davros and Dalek.


Chester Zoo keeper Karen Neech checks the baby birds (Picture: Chester Zoo)

Keeper Karen Neech said: ‘Just as Dr Who has his companion we’re very much the companions for the baby chicks at the moment



‘We’re weighing them daily to make sure they’re developing properly and feeding from their parents.

Face-off: These penguins take cute to another level (Picture: Chester Zoo)

‘With extra mouths to feed a lot more food is required, so it’s a busy time for both us and the adult penguins.

‘So it’s a real combined effort – but without a sonic screwdriver in sight!’

The penguins have been given Dr Who inspired names (Picture: Chester Zoo)

After around eight weeks they will leave the nest and learn how to swim in the zoo’s baby pool, before joining their parents in the main pool.

Chester Zoo funds conservation initiatives in the penguins’ homeland where they are faced with many pressures including over fishing of their food and habitat loss.