Humboldt penguins named after Andy Murray

One of four Humbolt penguins named in honour of Andy Murray. Picture: PA

Four penguins have been named in honour of Andy Murray and the three women in his life, after his historic Wimbledon win made the tennis player a popular choice in a public poll.

The female Humboldt penguins, who arrived at St Andrews Aquarium in Fife in May, have been named after Andy, his mother Judy, girlfriend Kim and Shirley, his grandmother.

The aquarium held a nationwide competition to name the animals, with Murray-themed suggestions emphasising the champion’s popularity following his victory at SW19.

John Mace, aquarium manager said: “It was a tough decision to pick a winner out of literally hundreds of suggestions, but one theme kept coming through strongly in a lot of the entries. We had lots of Andys, Murrays and Wimbles but, because the penguins are girls, we had to be a little more creative.

“One of the entrants, Elspeth Badger from Perthshire, picked out the names of Andy’s girlfriend and Mum and we added in his granny to the mix. It’s a perfect tribute to Andy’s success and he’s welcome to come and visit any time he’s in town.”

Ms Badger said: “I was actually in Dunblane watching Andy Murray win the Wimbledon match and it was an amazing experience to be there when the home crowd roared to celebrate his victory. I can’t wait to visit Andy, Judy, Kim and Shirley the penguins to say hello.”

The honour comes after Scotland’s rare Amur tiger cubs were named Murray and Viktor earlier this month.