An aquarium has created a ‘retirement home‘ island for six older penguins to live out their golden years in style.
Harlequin, Durban, Boulders, Iris, Labert and Dyer are settling in nicely in their new digs.
The aquatic birds usually live up to 15 years but most of these lots are far older.
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Boulders is the most senior penguin, at a whopping 34 years old, and struggles with arthritis.
Meanwhile, Harlequin and Durban, both aged 32, deserve a well-earned rest.
The parents, who have been a couple for 25 years, have raised eight chicks together.
Iris is the shy one, who struggles to socialise with younger penguins.
Finally, there’s 32-year-old Labert – who has a history of cataracts – and his younger mate, Dyer, who is just 14 years old.
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The retirement home island features flat areas with mats and allows the penguins to socialise with one another.
Adorable footage shows the group hanging out in their new home with not a care in the world – swimming, relaxing and perching on rocks.
Staff have gradually transitioned the six of them into the new area over the past month, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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Work on the new facility started in 2024, and the penguins’ separation from the main colony allows staff to pay close attention to them.
The team at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, now has a bird’ s-eye view of the geriatric penguins.
Records are kept on each penguin’s behaviour, feedings and more.
Kristen McMahon, who is the Aquarium’s curator of pinnipeds and penguins, hopes that the team can help to better meet the birds’ needs.
“Our goal is to take a proactive approach to managing geriatric animals in an environment that better meets their physical and behavioural needs,” she said.
The manager of penguins at the facility, Diana Major, has described the island to be like ‘assisted living’.
She added: “We think of this island like assisted living, where we’re helping the birds be more comfortable in a calmer environment.
“The New England Aquarium places a high priority on husbandry, which involves specialised training to get the animals comfortable with healthcare.
“Being relaxed is key, and we think the new retirement home will ultimately lead to happier and healthier penguins.”
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