Mental Floss

Older Penguins Moved to the New England Aquarium’s New ‘Retirement Island’

The New England Aquarium recently introduced a retirement home for elderly penguins, offering them geriatric care that puts their needs first.
ByCaLea Johnson|
These penguins are going to be living their best lives.
These penguins are going to be living their best lives. | New England Aquarium

Penguins are one of the best reasons to visit zoos and aquariums. While all species of the tuxedoed birds are native to the Southern Hemisphere, you can find them living in captivity across the U.S. You can also rest assured that some older zoo penguins are well taken care of, thanks to the New England Aquarium’s new retirement program. 

As The New York Times reports, the Boston facility recently opened a penguin “retirement home” for birds that have met or lived past their life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. Over half of the New England Aquarium’s penguins have reached this stage, so staff members created a designated space for them by separating an island from the main penguin exhibit. This way, workers can closely monitor the birds’ health via cameras and in-person visits and easily catch any abnormalities in behavior.

Penguins living on the island receive specialized care tailored to their needs. Physical therapy, acupuncture, foot treatment, and daily eyedrops are some of the ways staff members keep the birds healthy in old age. The environment itself is also tailor-made, and additional ramps and flat surfaces to facilitate comfortable movement are in the works.

Over the last month, the New England Aquarium has transitioned a handful of the older penguins into the new retirement area. The residents include adorable penguin couples who have been together long term. Harlequin (32 years old) and Durban (31) have been breeding and raising chicks together since 2000. Now, they will continue living together on the new retirement island, and joining them are Lambert (32) and his younger partner Dyer (14). Other elderly penguins include 34-year-old Boulders, who likely has arthritis, and 29-year-old Isis, who has struggled with the social dynamics of the younger birds in her old age.

The New England Aquarium isn’t the first animal facility to prioritize special care for their older residents. Florida’s Brevard Zoo started doing the same for its animals back in 2022.

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