The penguin named after her medicine has turned 38 and is possibly the oldest living female of her kind
A Humboldt penguin named Snape celebrated her 38th birthday this week at a wildlife sanctuary in Cornwall, and keepers believe she is now the oldest living penguin of her species in the world.The milestone was marked at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary with a specially made ice cake filled with Cornish sardines and sprats, one of her favorite foods. The staff said that despite his remarkable age he showed no signs of slowing down.Keeper Becky White tells Snapeb that he still has a keen appetite and is clearly interested in the daily activities around him. She regularly peeks out of her nest box and keeps a close eye on the smaller birds in the colony. Waite called it a kind of feathered neighborhood clock, which nicely sums up the penguin’s personality.The origin of the name Spaneb is an unusual one in itself. It was put together in 2007 from the names of the drugs treating him during a serious illness. He was diagnosed with aspergillosis, a fungal infection that can be fatal in birds. She recovered after four months of treatment and has been living well since then.According to the sanctuary’s global zoo records, no Humboldt penguin kept in captivity anywhere on the planet has reached this age. This makes Spneb not only a local curiosity but a real record holder in wildlife conservation areas.Humboldt penguins are native to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. In the wild they rarely live more than 15 to 20 years due to predators, lack of food, and climatic pressure. They can live quite a long time when kept in captivity with constant care and food, although reaching 38 years is still extraordinary by any measure.The sanctuary said that Spaneb was thriving and that his birthday celebration attracted much attention from visitors who gathered at the colony to enjoy his delicacies.She will turn 39 next year and keepers have every reason to believe she will get there.
