Zookeepers have to lure the tricky penguins onto the scale using treats.
Just in time to set their goals for the new year, these winter animals are stepping on the scale.
Zookeepers at the Milwaukee County Zoo lured reluctant penguins to the scale with capelin, a tiny fish used as treats.
“Sometimes they wait their turn, sometimes they skip right over the scale and sometimes they join their fellow penguins on it,” zookeepers wrote on Facebook.
The 16 gentoo and rockhopper penguins at the zoo get weigh-ins every month to help zookeepers monitor their growth.
Meanwhile, a newborn gray seal, a Boxing Day surprise at Illinois' Brookfield Zoo, is already putting on weight.
At a recent weigh-in, zookeepers found that the unnamed pup now weighs more than 100 pounds — a significant leap from its birth weight of 36 pounds.
Keepers say it is all thanks to the fat-rich milk from its mother, 13-year-old Lily, which helps growth of its blubber layer.
The pup is expected to wean from its mom soon at about 3 weeks old. But for now, they are bonding, nursing and learning to swim behind the scenes.
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