On March 17, ‘Chester,’ a Magellanic penguin from John Ball Zoo, will take on ‘Friend,’ a Magellanic penguin from Jacksonville Zoo and Garden (who was born and raised at John Ball Zoo) in the first round of the March of Penguin Madness.
Hosted by Penguin International, Chester is one of 47 penguins vying for the top of the brackets. The first round of public voting begins March 17. Over five weeks, penguins from across the country will go head-to-head in three-day rounds. The winner will be named on April 19.
John Ball Zoo’s all-star veteran is Chester, the oldest penguin at the Zoo. Standing at 2 feet tall and weighing just over 8 pounds, he will turn 33 in May. He was recruited to the John Ball Zoo from Seaworld in 2002, and his quiet nature and calm demeanor in the habitat quickly earned him MVP status.
“Chester has experience and knows what it takes to win,” said David Blaszkiewicz, senior zookeeper at John Ball Zoo. “He’s known for his swift speed at tip-off to capture his vitamin herring before any of the other penguins. Then he backs out beyond the arc, ready to catch the rest of his food thrown to him at a distance.”
Off the court, Chester has a special romance with another penguin named Erin. Together they make an adorable power couple.
Chester is a survivor. On July 12, 2002, he suffered a suspected stroke but persevered and made a speedy and complete recovery by mid-August, passing his swimming test with flying colors.
“Chester overcame heaps of adversity,” Blaszkiewicz said. “But he worked hard and is back to being our go-to guy because he always gives 110%. The Zoo’s animal care team admires Chester’s resilience and strength. He’s the MVP everyone knows and loves.”
John Ball Zoo encourages its fans to help Chester take the top prize by voting for him three times in each round on each of the voting platforms: penguinsinternational.org/
“Chester is one of the best players, not only at John Ball Zoo, but in the whole conference,” Blaszkiewicz said. “Now is time for the fans to step up to back Chester and help us win this tourney.”
Voting timeline:
March 17-19: First round of voting
March 24-26: Second round of voting
March 31-April 2: Third round of voting – Emperor Eight
April 7-9: Fourth round of voting – Flipper Four
April 14-16: Last round of voting – Peng Win Championship
April 19: Winner announced
Photos courtesy of John Ball Zoo.
