Homepage > Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Coverage From WTAE-TV

Sidney, Pittsburgh Aviary's New Penguin, Named For Crosby

POSTED: 4:37 pm EDT May 26, 2008
UPDATED: 7:53 pm EDT May 26, 2008

While Pittsburgh's hockey Penguins chase the Stanley Cup in Detroit, a young counterpart is waiting for them to bring it home so he can swim in it.

Sidney the penguin, named after team captain Sidney Crosby, hatched at the National Aviary on the city's North Side in February.

"He can eat up to a pound of fish a day by himself," said Erin Estell, manager of animal programs at the aviary. "He only weighs about five pounds. In the wild, that is like a fifth of their body weight that they are eating."

That's like a person eating 80 double cheeseburgers a day. But penguins need that much food for energy.

"He can swim up to 35 mph," said Estell.

"I think that is faster than Sidney (Crosby) can skate," said WTAE Channel 4 Action News anchor Sally Wiggin, who visited the aviary on Monday.

Sidney is an African penguin, native to the west coast of South Africa.

The little guy's hockey namesake will probably visit the aviary after the playoffs end.

"He actually has contacted us and he would like to meet his penguin," Estell said. "He has been a little busy, you know?"


Related Links:
More Penguins News And Fan Photos

Get RSS Headlines | Free Desktop Alert


Links We Like

If you have aspirations of becoming a millionaire, check out these five habits that may be worth emulating. More

Most sellers think they know at least a ballpark figure for their house, but most are way off. Get a true gauge on just what your home is worth. More

You’ve heard of certain foods that can help you prevent cancer and even halt the spread of the disease. Find out if these anti-cancer foods really work. More

Whether or not to get your child vaccinated has caused some debate. Learn more about immunization to help your decision. More

Sponsored Links