LOOK: African penguin chick hatches at Denver Zoo

I always say that all baby animals are so cute… I stand by that statement as Denver has a new adorable African penguin chick.

An African penguin chick was successfully hatched at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance in October, and the zoo plans to introduce the critically endangered animal to the public in early January.

Born Oct. 15, the chick, had to overcome a respiratory ailment in its fight for life. A penguin care specialist at the zoo said that the chick caught a “penguin cold,” and because penguins lack an immune system when born (just as human babies), the chick needed extra support.

Ultimately, the penguin chick had to go to the ICU for treatment, where it received supplemental oxygen.

African penguins were determined to be critically endangered in July this year due to rapid population decline, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species citing commercial fisheries and climate changes as why the population has changed so rapidly. The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance participates in the African Penguin Species Survival Plan, intending to maintain a sustainable population of the species within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities.