Life is anything but fair, and not everyone is fortunate enough to get a strong start. But just because you’re welcomed with a rough beginning, it doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed anyway.
Periwinkle the penguin is a perfect example of this. Having hatched undersized and with an umbilical infection, the little guy required 2 surgeries to get him walking. And yet, a couple of weeks ago, when he made his zoo debut, he went freely swimming with the rest of his colony, and not even his support boot could stop him. Scroll down to read the full story!
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Sometimes life throws the biggest challenges at you, and it's up to you to get through them, no matter how small you might be
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Periwinkle, the Magellanic penguin, hatched undersized and with an umbilical infection, so the zoo's staff had to step in to help him
Around 5 months ago, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium welcomed a new baby Magellanic penguin, who was soon named Periwinkle. But even though his journey had just begun, he was immediately faced with some serious challenges.
To begin with, Periwinkle’s parents, who had laid eggs before, never saw any of their chicks survive. A similar fate would’ve likely happened to this little guy, too, but fortunately, for the first time in this zoo’s history, the staff decided to take this matter into their own hands.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (YouTube)
The little guy also had torn ligaments in his right leg, which required 2 surgeries and a supportive boot to fix
Periwinkle hatched successfully, but the challenges were far from over. Undersized and struggling with an umbilical infection, he required intense care from veterinarians.
Somewhere later down the road, the little guy also tore ligaments in his right leg, which required 2 surgeries and resulted in him wearing a supportive boot. And yet, throughout this whole time, his determination to keep moving forward didn’t fall one bit, becoming an inspiration for everyone who contributed to his journey, as well as many people online alike.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Despite all the hardship, Periwinkle showed an astounding amount of resilience and recently made his debut in the zoo, joining his colony and inspiring everyone watching
Roughly a couple of weeks ago, Periwinkle finally made his debut, joining his colony in the zoo and almost instantly going for a swim, as if that supportive boot was never there. And when the video of this spectacle was posted online, people instantly fell in love with him.
His healing journey might not be over just yet. In the zoo’s blog post, head veterinarian Dr. Karen Wolf explained that, in the future, he will most likely need surgery on his left foot, too. However, for now, everyone is focused on helping the penguin get better, and when the time comes, for Periwinkle, this will surely be just another challenge he overcame.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Jennifer Regan of Pawopedic, a company that designed and fabricated Periwinkle’s custom brace, told Bored Panda that seeing the little guy take his first steps and eventually get back to swimming was a true relief, especially given how challenging the fabrication process was.
She explained that when the zoo first reached out to them, they weren’t sure if something like this could even be fabricated due to Periwinkle’s size and anatomy, as well as the fact that the company mostly creates braces and artificial limbs for dogs, not penguins.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Fortunately, the professionals weren’t frightened by this unusual challenge. “We started by having the zoo send us videos, pictures, and a detailed explanation of which part of Periwinkle’s leg needed support and why,” shared Jennifer, adding that when things became clearer, the team made a trip to the zoo to meet Periwinkle himself and take a mold of his leg for his brace.
Now, having done all in their power for the time being, the Pawopedic team joined the rest of us on the sidelines, eagerly following the Periwinkle's progress. “We are so excited that he is thriving and that there are so many people out there rooting for him,” concluded Jennifer.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (YouTube)
Black and white feathered Magellanic penguins definitely do look majestic. But there’s more to them than just their looks. So, let’s look at some interesting facts about this species.
Named after a famous Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, whose crew first discovered these flightless birds way back in 1520, Magellanic penguins are native to South America. They are the largest of the Spheniscus group and grow up to around 76 centimeters in height and 6.5 kilograms in weight.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (YouTube)
Periwinkle and his relatives are highly social and colonial animals who embark on the most challenging journeys during migration season, sometimes taking them hundreds and even thousands of kilometers away from home. The exhausting trip and the dangers lurking along the way mean that not everyone returns.
With all that, their numbers are still not too bad, but they could be better. While not threatened, Magellanic penguins have been close to that line ever since 2004, with an estimated 3.6 million of these animals worldwide, making up between 1.1 million and 1.6 million pairs, which are necessary for reproduction.
This situation will undoubtedly change, and while Periwinkle has definitely proved that these little creatures may have more fight in them than meets the eye, it still mostly depends on us humans. The biggest threats to their survival are oil spills, especially those along the coasts of Argentina, as well as commercial fishing, which poses competition for their food sources.
Image credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (YouTube)
Hopefully, in the end, humanity will play its cards right and preserve these species. However, right now, the Magellanic penguins living at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium experience life a little differently than their relatives in the wild, and thus, their problems are different, too. For now, let’s just wish Periwinkle a speedy recovery and enjoy these wholesome videos.
What did you think about this story? Do you like penguins? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The commenters fell in love with the video and especially with Periwinkle, wishing him the speediest recovery
