Watch: Geriatric penguins get new ‘retirement island' at New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium in Boston expanded its penguin exhibit to better observe their "geriatric penguin" population.
African penguins typically live between 10 and 15 years in the wild.
Some of the penguins at the aquarium either meet or exceed the typical life expectancy.
The New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, expanded its penguin habitat after "more than half" of the colony met or surpassed the species' typical life expectancy in the wild.
"Our goal is to take a proactive approach to managing geriatric animals in an environment that better meets their physical and behavioral needs," said Kristen McMahon, the Aquarium's Curator of Pinnipeds and Penguins.
The backstory
African penguins typically live between 10 and 15 years in the wild, according to the aquarium.
More than half of the penguins that are in the aquarium's care are living far longer than that.
To accommodate their aging penguins, the aquarium created a separate island from the main penguin colony that would provide the animal care team with a bird's eye view to easily monitor the animals.
"Careful records are kept on each penguin's behavior, feedings, and more so that staff can quickly spot changes that might be indicative of ailments that afflict older penguins, such as foot injuries and cataracts," according to an aquarium news release.
Aquarium staff transitioned six penguins to their new island home over the past month.
Harlequin: 32 years old
Durban: 32 years old
Boulders: 34 years old
Isis: 29 years old
Lambert: 32 years old
Dyer: 14 years old
What they're saying
"We think of this island like assisted living, where we're helping the birds be more comfortable in a calmer environment," said Diana Major, Manager of Penguins.
Dig deeper
African penguins are a critically endangered species, according to the aquarium.
The main threats plaguing these animals are climate change, habitat loss and pollution.
The species typically lives on the coasts of South Africa and Namibia.
These penguins, like many others, enjoy eating small fish such as anchovies, sardines and horse mackerel.
They can grow to be between 23 and 25 inches tall and can weigh five to nine pounds.
The Source
Information for this article was gathered from The New England Aquarium in Boston and Storyful. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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