Chester Zoohas welcomed nine new baby penguin residents, and has shared adorable footage and pictures from their first few days.
Penguin Island at the UK’s biggest charity zoo is now said to be “buzzing with activity” after the arrival of nine endangered Humboldt penguin chicks who go by the names of Plum, Peach, Papaya, Cherry, Rhubarb, Banana, Lemon, Satsuma, and Iona-Berry.
Keepers have named the zoo’s newest residents after some of their favourite fruits.
Iona-Berry was also named after a vet who last year saved the eyesight of the baby penguins’ father, Munch.
Weighing in at just 80g when they first hatch, the nine penguin chicks will triple in size in their first three weeks of life and quickly reach around 3kg – just like their parents.
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Found on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile, Humboldt penguins are one of the world’s most endangered penguin species, and are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as they face a number of threats including climate change, over-fishing, and rising acidity and temperature levels in the oceans.
That’s why births like this are said to be so important for Chester Zoo’s ongoing mission to prevent extinction.
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“There’s nothing quite like hearing tiny chirps coming from the penguin nests and seeing little balls of fluff snuggled up with their parents just moments after hatching,” said Sophie Bissaker – Parrots and Penguins Keeper at Chester Zoo.
“Zookeepers have a trend of naming the penguins using a different theme each year.
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Chester Zoo has welcomed nine new baby penguin residents / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Previously we’ve had brands of crisps, chocolate bars and in 2020, our NHS Heroes, but after some serious thought, we’ve decided to name this year’s class after different types of fruit.”
Zoe explained that the nine new arrivals have just started to venture out of the nest, which is “such an exciting time” for staff at the zoo at visitors alike.
“Now they’re starting swimming lessons in the main pool, where they’ll learn how to catch food for themselves,” she continued.
Penguin Island at the zoo is now “buzzing with activity” / Credit: Chester Zoo
“For the first three months of life, mum and dad keep their new chicks tucked away while they feed and nurture them [but] to help them gain weight while they’re so young, we provide the parents with extra fish, which they swallow, churn into a high-protein soup and regurgitate at feeding times.
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“In a few weeks they’ll shed their fluffy grey feathers to reveal their iconic black and white feathers underneath.
“[The feathers] are waterproof and help them zoom through the water.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Bury primary school teaching assistant jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A teaching assistant from Bury has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences against a ‘vulnerable’ young boy.
Terri Cook, of Masefield Avenue in Radcliffe, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week, where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to eight charges of sexual offences.
The sentencing came after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) began in ‘intense’ investigation into Cook back in September of last year after a member of the public reported seeing her out with a young boy.
The subsequent investigation showed that she had been grooming and manipulating the young boy into engaging in a sexual relationship with her.
Police found numerous messages on Cook’s phone where she had been inciting sexual communications with the boy and holding indecent images of him, and she was also found to have been buying him expensive items, like jewellery and clothing, for a period of more than nine months.
During a powerful statement read out in court, the young boy was described as being ‘extremely kind and caring’, with his mum adding: “Despite experiencing traumatic events earlier in his life, he continued to be positive and compassionate. He smiled every day and made us all laugh.”
Cook was sentenced four-and-a-half years in prison for eight charges of sexual offences.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Adam Stanfield, from GMP’s Bury CPIU, said: “This case was a horrific example of calculated abuse of power, and Cook targeted a vulnerable child who put his trust in her.
“Grooming is a form of manipulation that can leave lasting emotional and psychological damage, and our priority remains protecting young people and supporting victims as they recover.
“This sentencing also emphasises our unwavering commitment to protecting male victims. They can be victims too and I urge anyone who believes they may have been through anything similar to please report to us.”
Featured Image – GMP
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The richest people in the North West have been revealed, featuring Harry Styles, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Gallaghers
Daisy Jackson
The Sunday Times Rich List has been published today, revealing the wealthiest person in the North West to be Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The annual list highlights the richest people in the UK, often filled with famous faces and business moguls.
This year, the 350 individuals on the list hold a combined wealth of £783.5 billion – that’s about a quarter of the UK’s total annual GDP.
The Sunday Times Rich List also highlighted other North West figures, such as Harry Styles, the Issa brothers, and Tyson Fury.
Other famous faces from elsewhere in the UK include Sir Elton John, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, JK Rowling, Charlotte Tilbury and Sir Lewis Hamilton.
It found that Sir Jim Ratcliffe – chemicals magnate, Ineos CEO, and Manchester United shareholder – still tops the list regionally despite falling revenues and a £515.7 million loss.
Mohsin and Zuber Issa are fourth on the list of the wealthiest in the North West – the Blackburn billionaire brothers founded the EG Group petrol stations, and acquired the supermarket giant Asda.
Betfred brothers Fred and Peter Done come next, with an estimated net wealth of £3.6bn.
Property developer and Renaker founder (Renaker is behind the Deansgate Square towers) Daren Whitaker saw his wealth grow by £100m in a single year.
Elsewhere on the list are Liam and Noel Gallagher, making their Sunday Times Rich List debut at £375 million.
Michael and George Heaton, the British brothers behind the Represent streetwear brand, paid themselves minimum wage for a decade before selling a stake and making £18.5m each.
Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, said: “This year’s Rich List is a tale of two exoduses. One in six of the individuals and families who appeared on the list two years ago don’t feature this time.
“Many foreign billionaires who have been living in the UK have also dropped out because they have moved away. We have also seen a sharp rise in the number of British nationals now resident in Dubai, Switzerland and Monaco. As UK nationals these people remain on our Rich List — wherever they now live.
“These two exoduses pose challenges for the UK economy and its public finances. Will more of the wealthy now set up or grow their ventures overseas and in doing so create fewer jobs here? How much tax — if any — will Rachel Reeves’s Treasury be able to extract from those affluent Brits who have now left the country?
“For nearly 40 years the Sunday Times Rich List has analysed the fortunes of Britain’s most affluent people. We believe understanding where wealth lies and where it is being accumulated is a vital part of a functioning democracy.
“Over the years our research has told us a lot about our country, charting the way a generation of largely self-made entrepreneurs overtook the old money of the landed gentry.
“This year’s edition shines a light on fortunes made from artificial intelligence, driverless cars and crypto-currencies as well as baby milk, make-up, hoodies and other everyday items. We know many of our readers find those rags-to-riches stories of entrepreneurs who started out with little more than a laptop and an idea particularly inspiring.”
Emily Sergeant -
11th July 2022 
