KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 ― A penguin at the Saint Louis Zoo has been fitted with custom-made boots after zookeepers found the aquatic flightless bird had difficulty walking due to arthritis.
Enrique the southern rockhopper penguin can now be seen waddling, walking, climbing and even swimming more than he was before, ksdk.com reported.
According to the station, Enrique at the age of 30 is far older than the 10 years his species usually lives in the wild.
Zookeepers said Enrique had a tough time walking around the penguin exhibit because of arthritis over the past year leading them to reach out to a company in New Jersey that specialises in therapeutic shoes for animals.
“His cool kicks allow him to live a more comfortable life,” the zoo wrote in a tweet.
🐧👞This week, our geriatric penguin Enrique was seen showing off the therapeutic support boots he wears for arthritis. Like many zoo animals, Enrique is far older than would be expected if he were to live in the wild, and his cool kicks allow him to live a more comfortable life. https://t.co/gG49QG89vu
Advertisement— Saint Louis Zoo (@stlzoo) June 18, 2021
Enrique’s new boots had come to light thanks to an observant visitor who noticed it and asked the zookeeper.
The visitor was told that while the zoo has a very effective pain-relieving cream but it washes off when Enrique goes into the water.
The tiny shoes are made of wetsuit fabric to keep the cream on.
