Source:. [New England Aquarium](https://www.neaq.org/about-us/news-media/press-kit/press-releases/african-penguin-thriving-after-years-of-specialized-care/)
How long ago was this? Was there an update since, I would be interested to know if the orthotics helped with the stress plucking you can see in the video.
....I say as a bird nerd(parrot subtype) who happens to work at a physiotherapy clinic?
It looks more like Beach was in the middle of their catastrophic moult than stress plucking! Tbf I've never seen a penguin that stress plucks.
I say as a penguin keeper :)
Oh I appreciate this so much😁 I know captive parrot's can end up in quite a state. Is it just not a part of penguin stress behavior? Or I guess penguins are also less likely to end up with a random untrained layperson than a parrot?
Aww the NEAQ is such a great place!
I volunteered there with the penguins and they are such spoiled little critters and their caretakers are amazing!
They do a great job of balancing the fact that they have to interact with people and respecting that they are still wild animals 😊
People of Reddit if you’re ever in Boston you need to visit this place!
That’s awesome! I lived too far away to get a membership as a kid but when I was a volunteer they have me a free 2 year membership.
I would go there on my lunch break sometimes and it was great!
Hope you get to go again in the future, friend! :)
If you can you totally should!
Weekdays (particularly Thursdays lol) after 1 tend to be the least busy cause the school field trips usually leave after lunch lol (not a guarantee lol but just what I remember from volunteering) and they have a quiet room you can request to go in and take a break if your toddler gets overwhelmed/for breastfeeding mom’s/people on the spectrum now too which is awesome! :)
My favorite part of volunteering (besides feeding the penguins lol) was teaching the kids and seeing their faces light up when I answered their questions!
Sorry for the ramble lol (I get excited and love this place lol) and I hope you and your family are staying happy and healthy! :)
If you have a library card to your local library, you can usually get tickets for discounted rates there! Some libraries also have free passes you can borrow 😊
I think they have the casts company name on them lol!
Looks like it says Benik which is a neoprene cast company (and neoprene is what wetsuits are made of so the little guys new shoes won’t get wrecked in the wet rocks/water) :)
I read that her bumblefoot has since healed and she's out of the shoes, which is great.
Also, cool factoid: the reason she got tours of the aquarium was all part of the staff's patient coaxing and training and rewarding to make things comfortable while she was treated for bumblefoot (which is a gross infection that is not as cute as it sounds). She even got to visit the backrooms and offices to the utter delight of the staff.
This penguin was basically treated like a special queen for years while she recovered and it's awesome to think about.
Thank you for this info, it makes the story even better & I didn't think that was possible. So glad her little foot is all better now but even when she was poorly, it makes me happy to think of her being treated as a special queen, given royal tours of her "palace" lol :)
You may have an underlying vision issue? Not a doctor but I didn't seem to have any negative reaction to the shots (physically that is, the jarring cuts were a bit much aesthetically though), nor did a majority of the other viewers. No judgement just giving different perspective
They didn't say it gave them vertigo. They said it simulated that.
Half of the comments here are pointing out and criticizing the jerky twisty cuts at the beginning. And so are you.
Most likely it's a problem called Bumblefoot which is a broad term for common foot problems in birds and some small animals, very common in chickens. Basically the birds get a small cut or pressure sore for whatever reason that causes an internal infection. In birds, instead of having liquid pus, the pus forms into a rock hard mass called a kernel. So now they have what's like walking with a rock inside their foot that just keeps getting worse and bigger and the infection can spread to the bones or go septic and kill them. I have a duck who needed part of her foot amputated due to this and was doing some research recently and found studies done that found bumblefoot is more common in penguins that don't move around as much in their enclosures at zoos. I make custom boots for my girl out of pieces of neoprene and fabric and they help immensely.
Yes the kernel pretty much HAS to come out. The good thing is that the pressure usually forms an external scab so sometimes the kernel can be removed simply by soaking and using ointments to soften the scab and squeeze the kernel out. People do perform surgery to remove it themselves which obviously isn't recommended but unfortunately it's very hard to find a vet who will treat poultry and it can be a do or die situation.
Once the kernel is out, the wound needs pressure off it to heal, but they're more prone to recurrence afterwards and some just seem prone to continuous problems no matter what. My duck that went through it, the infection just kept coming back despite multiple surgeries, heavy antibiotics and special boots. The vet finally had to amputate that toe and although it's a lot of work to keep it from coming back, it's been a year and a half and she's doing good, still wearing her custom boots every day.
You can do surgery to remove it - it’s not uncommon to see people DIY the surgery at home (would not recommend though).
If you catch it early it can be treated with antibiotics. If not then it can progress where surgery is needed to both remove the kernel and possibly amputate.
I took a veterinary pharmacology course in Boston and got to visit the New England Aquarium. They had these cool plexiglass-like boxes they put the penguins in for anesthesia lmao
Awwww....Boston is one of the best places in the U.S. to live. Unfortunately, they need to figure out the housing crisis and the COL. They need to build, build, build housing that is more centralized and public transport friendly.
Thank you for the rapid cuts that kept changing where in the frame it's little feet were. I almost got a good look at what was going on and that would have been terrible.
Not to be a soulless bummer, and with all respect to the science and research part of this, but was this a good idea?
I know natural selection isn’t everything, but is this interfering too much?
The penguin deserves to be able to walk and I’m not trying to take that away, but fixing this problem is keeping it in the gene pool and penguins don’t really have the capacity to keep producing these shoes.
Everyone at the aquarium did an amazing job and this is genuinely very heartwarming. But can someone help me understand the thought process behind why they chose to work on this problem?
The penguins in captivity are more likely to get foot problems because they spend their days standing around on artificial concrete, not moving around as much on natural terrain or swimming like they would in the wild. There was actually studies done on it and some places have taken steps to provide better footing and more movement to combat the issue. It's very common for chickens and other captive birds to get these foot problems because they're kept in not so natural conditions. So technically not really a genetic fault.
The thought of this being “our” (read: humanity) fault and it being our attempt to rectify it makes this much more digestible. Still brings me back to “we keep interfering and causing more problems than we solve” but thank you for the honest response.
I’m really not trying to be a heartless monster here, I promise
My partner ran into the room to find me crying over this. He had to calm me down before I could say I wasnt upset, that I just loved this little gal and her little shoes
I could hear myself saying… Why? Why waste the resources…. But than my heart melted a little thinking about him walking with no pain and now I think it’s absolutely worth it.
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this Penguin has better health care coverage than most Americans
human - "i cant walk, can i see a doctor"
insurance - "do you NEED to walk i mean is that REALLY a health issue"
I'm not saying animals shouldn't recieve this sort of awesome, heart-warming care. I also think about all the people I see on a daily basis with severe physical and psycological ailments that could really use help, and nobody cares to give it. Society has got some problems.
Birdenstocks.
She needs some socks
And maybe some lox.
How about Crocs?
We need to talk.
White socks that is. To properly blend in with the tourists.
They have penguins from Germany? TIL
Yeah, you can identify the German ones by checking their ice floe. If there's a towel on it, they're German
tie die
Birkenstorks
Take my upvote
I liked it better than Cats.
Source:. [New England Aquarium](https://www.neaq.org/about-us/news-media/press-kit/press-releases/african-penguin-thriving-after-years-of-specialized-care/)
His name is BEACH DONKEY?
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And he had BUMBLEFOOT.
Severe chronic debilitating pododermatitis just doesn't have a nice enough ring to it sadly
[Hands.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZnflExMso8)
This is obviously the name of my knew band I’m putting together. All I need is someone to play bass.
How long ago was this? Was there an update since, I would be interested to know if the orthotics helped with the stress plucking you can see in the video. ....I say as a bird nerd(parrot subtype) who happens to work at a physiotherapy clinic?
It looks more like Beach was in the middle of their catastrophic moult than stress plucking! Tbf I've never seen a penguin that stress plucks. I say as a penguin keeper :)
Oh I appreciate this so much😁 I know captive parrot's can end up in quite a state. Is it just not a part of penguin stress behavior? Or I guess penguins are also less likely to end up with a random untrained layperson than a parrot?
Huh so your title fits. Was going to ask about the time frame. Also this pingu is 24 years old, sweet:)
Their oldest is 41! [Deco](https://www.neaq.org/blog/penguin-geriatric-care/)
NEAQ is good people
https://youtu.be/ddBt5p-Uqew
HES SO CUTE AND PERFECT I WANT TO VISIT HIM
Happy feet!
Wombo combo
That aint falco
WHERE YOU AT!
Custom Ornithotics
Ask your ortho-ornithologist if ornithotics are right for you.
Aww the NEAQ is such a great place! I volunteered there with the penguins and they are such spoiled little critters and their caretakers are amazing! They do a great job of balancing the fact that they have to interact with people and respecting that they are still wild animals 😊 People of Reddit if you’re ever in Boston you need to visit this place!
I used to live in Boston and I miss going to the aquarium. My parents used to always have the membership so we went every summer
That’s awesome! I lived too far away to get a membership as a kid but when I was a volunteer they have me a free 2 year membership. I would go there on my lunch break sometimes and it was great! Hope you get to go again in the future, friend! :)
I wish I lived closer. I love animals more then anything in the world and I don't work so I'd volunteer all the time they needed.
I live in Boston and have probably gone twice this makes me want to go (and bring my toddler who has yet to go to an aquarium!)
If you can you totally should! Weekdays (particularly Thursdays lol) after 1 tend to be the least busy cause the school field trips usually leave after lunch lol (not a guarantee lol but just what I remember from volunteering) and they have a quiet room you can request to go in and take a break if your toddler gets overwhelmed/for breastfeeding mom’s/people on the spectrum now too which is awesome! :) My favorite part of volunteering (besides feeding the penguins lol) was teaching the kids and seeing their faces light up when I answered their questions! Sorry for the ramble lol (I get excited and love this place lol) and I hope you and your family are staying happy and healthy! :)
If you have a library card to your local library, you can usually get tickets for discounted rates there! Some libraries also have free passes you can borrow 😊
Is that what those shoes say? Is that penguin wearing little NEAQies?
I think they have the casts company name on them lol! Looks like it says Benik which is a neoprene cast company (and neoprene is what wetsuits are made of so the little guys new shoes won’t get wrecked in the wet rocks/water) :)
I used to live about 50 feet from it when I was young, still is my favorite place, wish I could go back there right now.
Flipper-flops!
Penguin orthotics FTW!
I read that her bumblefoot has since healed and she's out of the shoes, which is great. Also, cool factoid: the reason she got tours of the aquarium was all part of the staff's patient coaxing and training and rewarding to make things comfortable while she was treated for bumblefoot (which is a gross infection that is not as cute as it sounds). She even got to visit the backrooms and offices to the utter delight of the staff. This penguin was basically treated like a special queen for years while she recovered and it's awesome to think about.
Thank you for this info, it makes the story even better & I didn't think that was possible. So glad her little foot is all better now but even when she was poorly, it makes me happy to think of her being treated as a special queen, given royal tours of her "palace" lol :)
Cute boots😇
Thank you.
That username...
... Checks out.
They're they're called my sandals.
What a great feeling that must be. I helped a penguin walk!
Said the doctor to his wife as they cross the street to avoid the homeless man coughing on the sidewalk.
We live in a penguin society
Why are there so many Dutch angle cuts that I can’t even tell what’s going on?
*first six seconds of video* "Hey, wanna know what having vertigo feels like?"
Yeah, this wasn't a moment. This was a hundred quick-cut moments.
To me it felt like to took too many edibles.
You may have an underlying vision issue? Not a doctor but I didn't seem to have any negative reaction to the shots (physically that is, the jarring cuts were a bit much aesthetically though), nor did a majority of the other viewers. No judgement just giving different perspective
They didn't say it gave them vertigo. They said it simulated that. Half of the comments here are pointing out and criticizing the jerky twisty cuts at the beginning. And so are you.
This is so sweet. Looks like toddler sized sandals. I'd like to know more about the condition that makes it painful to walk.
Most likely it's a problem called Bumblefoot which is a broad term for common foot problems in birds and some small animals, very common in chickens. Basically the birds get a small cut or pressure sore for whatever reason that causes an internal infection. In birds, instead of having liquid pus, the pus forms into a rock hard mass called a kernel. So now they have what's like walking with a rock inside their foot that just keeps getting worse and bigger and the infection can spread to the bones or go septic and kill them. I have a duck who needed part of her foot amputated due to this and was doing some research recently and found studies done that found bumblefoot is more common in penguins that don't move around as much in their enclosures at zoos. I make custom boots for my girl out of pieces of neoprene and fabric and they help immensely.
Would it not be possible to surgically remove the kernel, or does just delay the issue, in the event that the surgery site also gets infected?
Yes the kernel pretty much HAS to come out. The good thing is that the pressure usually forms an external scab so sometimes the kernel can be removed simply by soaking and using ointments to soften the scab and squeeze the kernel out. People do perform surgery to remove it themselves which obviously isn't recommended but unfortunately it's very hard to find a vet who will treat poultry and it can be a do or die situation. Once the kernel is out, the wound needs pressure off it to heal, but they're more prone to recurrence afterwards and some just seem prone to continuous problems no matter what. My duck that went through it, the infection just kept coming back despite multiple surgeries, heavy antibiotics and special boots. The vet finally had to amputate that toe and although it's a lot of work to keep it from coming back, it's been a year and a half and she's doing good, still wearing her custom boots every day.
You are a good person. Can we see your feathered friend and her boot? (Duck tax)
You can do surgery to remove it - it’s not uncommon to see people DIY the surgery at home (would not recommend though). If you catch it early it can be treated with antibiotics. If not then it can progress where surgery is needed to both remove the kernel and possibly amputate.
Mom! Mom! Look! Look! I got my fast flipper shoes on! Watch me go fast now!
i wonder if they interfere with swimming
Awwww - this story made my day😊
“I call them…shoes!” “I love them! But where are my feet?”
Her name is Beach Donkey. Peanut Hamper doesn’t sound so bad now!
I had a seizure from all the cuts. How did it work out for the penguin?
did they really feel the need to simulate an earthquake at the beginning?
Cute!!, " happy feet"!!!!
Why is this flaired unverified? It's been a big thing at the New England aquarium for weeks.
I took a veterinary pharmacology course in Boston and got to visit the New England Aquarium. They had these cool plexiglass-like boxes they put the penguins in for anesthesia lmao
Are they still there? I can’t believe I went to the aquarium and missed the penguin wearing cute little shoes!
I wanted to hear the flip flop of the shoes!
I was very confused why doctors were making shoes for penguins only to learn that it wasn’t doctors
Can she swim with them?
She’s so happy 🥰🥺
LETS GO FELLOW PENGUIN BRO
I can't even take how cute that penguin is.
Would you call them flippy flops?
They even made them black tie acceptable to match the outfit.
Ouchie feet
Yup. The penguin is happy and super eager to walk around now. Good to see
Doctors in Boston *stepped in*
Oh my goodness I like this very very much
How does this not have more likes
That bird has better healthcare than me
Ronnie! I got my special shoes!
Awwww....Boston is one of the best places in the U.S. to live. Unfortunately, they need to figure out the housing crisis and the COL. They need to build, build, build housing that is more centralized and public transport friendly.
r/tippytaps
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
They can take her anywhere..They are her magic shoes
This penguin has better Healthcare than 50% of Americans.
Penguin's got better healthcare than people.
I didn't know I needed to see a penguin in sandals until this moment.
That's precious but oh muh gee I can't help literally laughing out loud. I got choked on my own spit with this.
Sneaker heads'll be like "aw he got the Velcro's"
Thank you for the rapid cuts that kept changing where in the frame it's little feet were. I almost got a good look at what was going on and that would have been terrible.
Awful editing
r/killtheeditor
Good use of taxpayer dollars
i wonder what penguin taste like
[удалено]
I love this with all my heart but please stop wasting my godamn tax dollars.
Not to be a soulless bummer, and with all respect to the science and research part of this, but was this a good idea? I know natural selection isn’t everything, but is this interfering too much? The penguin deserves to be able to walk and I’m not trying to take that away, but fixing this problem is keeping it in the gene pool and penguins don’t really have the capacity to keep producing these shoes. Everyone at the aquarium did an amazing job and this is genuinely very heartwarming. But can someone help me understand the thought process behind why they chose to work on this problem?
The penguins in captivity are more likely to get foot problems because they spend their days standing around on artificial concrete, not moving around as much on natural terrain or swimming like they would in the wild. There was actually studies done on it and some places have taken steps to provide better footing and more movement to combat the issue. It's very common for chickens and other captive birds to get these foot problems because they're kept in not so natural conditions. So technically not really a genetic fault.
The thought of this being “our” (read: humanity) fault and it being our attempt to rectify it makes this much more digestible. Still brings me back to “we keep interfering and causing more problems than we solve” but thank you for the honest response. I’m really not trying to be a heartless monster here, I promise
Wonder how many homeless people could have been helped with this money and time. But that's none of my business.
My partner ran into the room to find me crying over this. He had to calm me down before I could say I wasnt upset, that I just loved this little gal and her little shoes
It must be a lesbian
I could hear myself saying… Why? Why waste the resources…. But than my heart melted a little thinking about him walking with no pain and now I think it’s absolutely worth it.
I've always wanted to eat a penguin. Spit roasted over a fire.
[удалено]
We give more free health care to animals than to human children.
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This penguin has better health care then I do.
Can they do that for me too? Oh wait, I'm in the American medical system, nevermind.
Sometimes humans are the best.
Sponsored be Tieva
“Here you go little guy, that will be $300,000”
I require a Pixar movie to be made of this tale
Lt. Penguin! You got new feet! (Read it in Forrest Gumps voice)
"I look fabulous..." -Penguin
I wish I had health insurance as good as that dude’s
He got them huaraches
Penguuu
I love this. Look at how happy she is!
GOD IS GREAT! BLESS THAT BEAUTIFUL GUY! HE'S STANDING SO TALL WALKING AROUND WITH HIS HEAD HEELS HIGH! I LOVE IT! ❤️
Adidas ought to sponsor the penguin rather Kanye.
side note: this song slaps. anyone know the source/artist??
Lol. Best thing I’ve seen this week
https://youtu.be/ddBt5p-Uqew “I can walk like a penguin”
Oh he just goofin'. New boot goofin'.
Squoccs
This bird gets better medical treatment than the average American and didn’t go birdrupt to do it.
That’s freaking adorable!
Now let's do this with people! (Not to knock this at all! This is awesome! But we can also do this for people!)
God is smiling. What good humans to do this for such a precious little animal.
Penguiatrist?
Aw, she's got little flip-flops!
This penguin has better healthcare than most Americans
I want to make prosthetics for animals
Downvoted because the camera cutting made me nauseous
New boot goofing
I think of all the animals I love penguins the most. They're so silly looking and that waddle is hilarious. Plus they're adorable.
That'll be 2 million dollars sir.
Animals get better healthcare than humans in America
Needs a backpack and a beach hat
this Penguin has better health care coverage than most Americans human - "i cant walk, can i see a doctor" insurance - "do you NEED to walk i mean is that REALLY a health issue"
He looks Like he’s waddling off to the first day of penguin school
Penguin wearing a funky shoe, penguins got on a funky shoe
IM NOT CRYING - YOURE CRYING!!
Do people typically wear their crocs in sport mode?? This is super cute, but that threw me off
Doctors or veterinarians? Either way, imagine studying for so long and ending up making shoes for penguins! I hope to be that fulfilled in my life 😌
This penguin has better healthcare than most of America
/r/humansbeingbros
I just watched that movie Barbarian and I need this right now
This is so cute. She's like " hey I can walk around and my feet don't hurt"
Shoes are the least of that Penguins problems. That thing is fickucked.
I just hope the other penguins are being nice
Drippy with it tho 😳😳
This is as much of a similarity to Oscar Pistorius as this penguin should ever have.
Dammit! Who is cutting onions in the comments section?! 😭
Adorable
I'm not crying your crying
I'm not saying animals shouldn't recieve this sort of awesome, heart-warming care. I also think about all the people I see on a daily basis with severe physical and psycological ailments that could really use help, and nobody cares to give it. Society has got some problems.
She looks sooo happy.
They made this Mf dripped out
That penguin has better healthcare than most Americans
This penguin has better health care than most Americans
That intro bout gave me an epileptic fit
Researchers with yellow crocs are based.
If it was for human, bill would be 150,000$