Penguins named after Emma Raducanu and vaccine developer Dame Sarah Gilbert

Two penguins at an aquarium have been named after Britain’s tennis star Emma Raducanu and vaccine developer Dame Sarah Gilbert

The gentoo penguin chicks, called Raducanu and Gilbert, have taken their names from two of the UK’s most inspirational women, Sea Life London Aquarium said.

Catherine Pritchard, the aquarium’s general manager, said: “Now the sex of the penguin chicks has been established it is a celebratory moment for the aquarium.

“We wanted to name our new females after two standout women of the past 18 months.”

They have only recently been able to establish the sex of the two penguins, who were born in May.

Earlier this month, 18-year-old tennis star Emma Raducanu won the US Open, becoming the first British woman to win a grand slam singles title since Virginia Wade lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 1977.

Dame Sarah “played a life-saving role in the battle against the Covid 19 pandemic”, Ms Pritchard said, through her work on the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

“Therefore we felt it a fitting tribute to commemorate their successes and mark their moments in time by naming our penguin chicks after them,” Ms Pritchard said.

Ms Raducanu commented on the news on Instagram, saying: “well this has made my day…hope you meet you”.