While most people are familiar with the penguins that reside in colder climates, some species, such as the African penguin, are temperate, which means that they live in warmer climates. The IUCN recognizes the African penguin as an endangered species, and with that in mind, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that conservation groups do everything in their power to help the animals thrive, even if that means administering medical treatment and rehabilitation to injured specimens when necessary.
In this video, an African penguin with a broken leg was taken into care at SANCCOB, which is a facility in Southern Africa that specializes in treating these kinds of injuries in African penguins and then releasing them into the wild after a rehabilitation period. It seemed like an impossible fix at first, but the experts took a chance and performed an operation on the animal in an attempt to improve its quality of life.
Upon putting the penguin under with a strong anesthetic, the experts could then move forward with the intense procedure of realigning the foot to facilitate proper healing. After implementing a metal brace into the penguin’s leg to help the bones heal properly, the experts then covered it with a soft bandage to protect the leg from the elements and promote healing.
Following the procedure, the penguin received intensive care and frequent checkups to monitor the leg’s healing. A veterinarian administered pain medication while simultaneously ensuring that the penguin ate and drank regularly. The penguin must remain in intensive care until the leg heals and the feathers grow back; afterward, it can be released back into the wild.
