A NEW female penguin chick at a popular zoo in the East Riding of Yorkshire has been named after a song by a legendary artist.

The female Humboldt chick – the second grandchild of the late Rosie, who was thought to be the oldest Humboldt penguin in the world – hatched at Sewerby Hall and Gardens zoo - and has been named Crackle.

Head zookeeper John Pickering said : “We wanted to maintain a connection with Rosie and we felt that the name Crackle would do just that, thanks to the song 'Cracklin’ Rosie' by Neil Diamond. We also think her name goes well with that of her older sibling, Pickle.”

York Press: Crackle was born over Easter this yearCrackle was born over Easter this year (Image: Supplied)

Penguin parents Sigsbee and Twinnie have been looking after Crackle well since her arrival and she is already proving popular with visitors to the zoo.

Grandmother penguin Rosie, who was one of the world’s oldest Humboldt penguins, died in March, just a few weeks short of her 33rd birthday.

Mr Pickering picked up Rosie and her partner Dion, who were both four months old at the time, from Birdworld in Surrey in 1990 and the couple successfully hatched chicks over the years.

John said: "It has been an absolute joy for all of us on the team to look after her over so many years - and to see how she herself has looked after her chicks. It is such a big loss for the zoo and she is going to be greatly missed by all."

Along with her companions Dion, Pingu, Penny, Rosie ensured the lasting popularity of the penguins at the zoo. All were bred in captivity and have played an important role in the zoo’s breeding programme.

York Press: Rosie the Humboldt penguin died in March this yearRosie the Humboldt penguin died in March this year (Image: Supplied)

Humboldt penguins are classed as vulnerable to extinction in the wild, because of changes in climate and overfishing of their preferred prey species. Life expectancy of Humboldt penguins in the wild is between 15 and 20 years.

In recent years, Rosie became a star of media and social media across the world. On her 30th birthday in 2020, she was featured on CBS News and ABC News in the USA, as well as Good Morning America.

Her recent birthdays also saw Rosie featured on media and social media in Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. In addition, Rosie was wished a happy birthday by Lorraine Kelly on Good Morning Britain on ITV, was featured in Hello! magazine. She also enjoyed coverage in different publications across the UK.

To honour Rosie's memory, Sewerby Hall Zoo held a special tribute - and the team invited the public to share their memories and photos of Rosie on social media using the hashtag '#RememberingRosie'.