National Aquarium's Penguin of the Month: Stealing the hearts of Facebook users since 2017

The National Aquarium of New Zealand is located in Napier. Photo / National Aquarium of New Zealand

Since 2017, keepers from the National Aquarium of New Zealand have voted for the best behaved and naughtiest Penguin of the Month.

Supervisor of birds Rebekah Cuthbert told the Herald the idea came from the keepers who thought it would be a good way for annual visitors to get to know the penguins.

Each month the keepers get together and have a chat about which penguin should be named that month's good and naughty penguin.

Many Facebook fans have even made the trip to the National Aquarium to catch the penguins in person.

Cuthbert said some months there were clear winners and other months it could be harder to choose, which then forced the keeper into a vote.

In June 2017, Penguin of the Month stole the hearts of Facebook users, when penguin Timmy was named as the naughty penguin of the month.

Timmy the penguin is quite the character and was named the first Naughty Penguin of the Month in 2017. Photo / National Aquarium of New Zealand

Two years on and many fans ask for regular updates on the star penguin.

This month's lucky winner of penguin of the month is Mo.

In a post made to Facebook, the National Aquarium said Mo was given the title because of motivation.

"Every morning Mo is the first one out having a swim, doing his exercises and having a wash."

However, one commenter questioned why Mo had been given the title.

"So Mo gets a prize for slipping out to go to the gym, neglecting his family? Has anyone asked Betty what she thinks?"

Dave was named as this month's naughty penguin because he stole Timmy's girlfriend.

In a Facebook post, the National Aquarium said Dave has been "a bit of a rascal, muscling in on Timmy's girlfriend Draco".

Draco was named last year's penguin of the year.

Draco seems like a homebody and doesn't like swimming, whereas Timmy is described as an "outdoors man" who spends his time swimming and lying in the sun.

This is apparently when Dave took the opportunity to visit Draco in her burrow.

"They're spending a fair bit of time together and seem to be getting on very well!" The aquarium said on its Facebook post.

After the success of Penguin of the Month, the team at the National Aquarium chose to run a Penguin of the Year campaign.

The first Penguin of the Year was crowned in 2018. This year's voting will start at the beginning of October.

Cuthbert said Penguin of the Month had proven popular nationally and internationally.

Little penguins are the word's smallest species of penguin and are native to New Zealand and South Australia.

The National Aquarium of New Zealand currently has 14 penguins.

They grow to about 30cm tall and weigh about 1kg.