A group of African penguins at the New England Aquarium in Boston have moved to a new retirement home, a special island designed to make their lives easier.
The ageing birds to relocate are Boulders, 34; Lambert, 32; Harlequin, 32; Durban, 31; Isis, 29; and Dyer, whose age has not been specified.
At the retirement home, social dynamics are more relaxed, slopes are more gradual, matted areas are available for birds with mobility difficulties, and healthcare is a part of the animals’ daily life.
More than half of the 40 African penguins in the aquarium’s penguin colony are older than their species’ average lifespan of 10 to 15 years old.
“In the wild, they would never reach this age,” said Diana Major, penguin manager at the aquarium.
“A lot of the time, we see physical issues that we normally wouldn’t see in the wild because, in the wild, if you slow down you get eaten by a shark.”
“Assisted living” for older penguins
At the New England Aquarium, the geriatric penguins receive acupuncture and physical therapy, foot treatments, daily eye drops, and fish injected with extra water to promote kidney health.
As the area is home to fewer birds, the aquarium can keep a closer eye on each penguin via a live stream of the island.
Each of the six penguins living on the island was evaluated and selected based on their physical status and social behaviours.
The aquarium team slowly transitioned the birds to the new island over about a month.
“The birds settled in as best as we could have hoped for,” Major said.
“We’ve seen the birds go from doing a lot of swimming to getting up and finding their areas and calling to each other as a colony.
“They seem to be finding their spots and settling in, which is really nice to see, and we have been able to do a lot more close observation on them and start more advanced training with their medical behaviors.”
The New England Aquarium plans to enhance the penguins’ retirement home with the installation of more flat areas and sloping ramps.
“It’s kind of like assisted living,” said Major. “We’re assisting them a little bit so that they can be more comfortable.”
Images courtesy of New England Aquarium
