Penguin Gets Sunburn Wetsuit

As widely reported in the UK National press last week, a bald penguin has been given a wetsuit to wear at a Hampshire wildlife park to protect him from sunburn. The a nine-year-old Humboldt penguin called Ralph, lost all of his feathers in one day while moulting, instead of the usual month to six weeks. It has left him with a very sensitive pink skin, so Marwell Wildlife keepers cut up an old wetsuit to make the kit. It will protect the penguin until the new feathers have grown, which could take up to a month to grow back.

A spokesperson from the zoo was reported as saying, "At first the other penguins were curious but it wasn't long before they recognised and accepted Ralph again." They continued ; "He doesn't seem to mind the wetsuit and is able to swim and move around normally.

Although they cannot fly, penguins have specialised feathers for swimming and each year undergo a complete moult. They normally shed their feathers at the same time as new ones come through. Humboldt penguins are native to the cold coasts of Peru and Chile.

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