ANY youngster’s first birthday is a big event for a proud dad - even when the toddlers are a pair of adopted penguins.

Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary senior aquarist Todd German lovingly hand-reared Humboldt penguin chicks Rico and Skipper after they were abandoned by their penguin parents.

Now the two chicks have celebrated their first birthday - and Todd was on hand to deliver his special foster kids an appropriately fishy birthday cake.

“For their first few weeks I had to feed them a special fish soup six times every day with the aid of a syringe,” said the self-confessed bird nut.

“They came home with me every night for nearly two months so they could have their last feed at 10pm.

“We developed a really close bond - and even though they’ve long since been assimilated into our Humboldt penguin colony, they rush straight over to greet me when I enter the enclosure.”

After moving into the heated seal hospital at the sanctuary when about two-months-old the pair would waddle around in Todd’s footsteps as he made his daily rounds of the displays.

Having been hand-reared Rico and Skipper have no fear of humans and quickly became the stars of the sanctuary’s walkthrough Penguin Island experience.

“They are as fit and healthy as any of the other birds that were reared by their natural parents which is testament to Todd’s nurturing skills,” said boss Richard Dilly.