The Science of Cute

his podcast is from the *That's Wild* series, specifically Season 2, Episode 4, titled "The Science of Cute." Hosts Susan Altrui and Joy Matlock from the Little Rock Zoo talk with resident animal expert Hannah about the science behind why we find baby animals cute. The episode features a live appearance by Bert, a three-month-old African penguin chick, and provides updates on various successful breeding programs at the zoo. Bert is a three-month-old African penguin chick hatched on November 16, 2025. At his age, he is undergoing "fledging," the process where chicks lose their downy feathers and transition to waterproof adult plumage so they can swim and fish independently. Bert currently sports a humorous "mohawk" of remaining down feathers on his back. Penguins have naturally dense bones compared to flighted birds, which helps them sink and swim rather than fly. They also possess a "nictitating membrane," a clear third eyelid that acts like built-in swim goggles to protect their eyes underwater. Hannah explains that human attraction to baby animals is an evolutionary adaptation. Certain features known as *baby schema*—such as large eyes, a button nose, big fat cheeks, and a large head—trigger the release of oxytocin in the human brain. This chemical response induces a desire to nurture and care for the baby. Because babies are highly demanding and require extensive resources, this biological bond is necessary for parents to successfully raise their offspring. Cartoon characters frequently replicate these exact proportions to make characters appear more endearing to audiences. The African penguin was upgraded to "critically endangered" status in 2024. Through the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which pairs animals based on genetic health rather than personality, the Little Rock Zoo has seen an unprecedented baby boom. While the zoo previously averaged two to three chicks per year, they successfully raised five chicks in 2025 and have already welcomed three more in 2026, bringing the recent total to eight. This spike in success is credited to new incubation research led by keeper Leanne. The team discovered that if penguin parents are allowed to care for their eggs for the first 10 days before the eggs are moved to an artificial incubator, the hatching success rate increases dramatically. Additionally, African penguins share parenting duties completely equally, with both mothers and fathers splitting egg incubation and chick-rearing duties 50/50. The Little Rock Zoo is experiencing a broader baby boom across multiple species. atched tadpoles around on her back. Bert the penguin is named after Dick Van Dyke’s chimney-sweep character in *Mary Poppins*, celebrating the actor turning 100 years old. Bert is also biologically related to Betty White, a famous former resident penguin at the zoo who was named when the actress turned 100. Other notable primate babies currently residing at the zoo include Keto the Colobus monkey (turning 6 months old), Molly the baby chimpanzee (6 months old), and Benny the gorilla, who previously made national news headlines upon his birth.