Elderly penguins have successfully had cataract operations and news lenses fitted in a “world first”.
The six penguins now appear to be more “active” and with a bounce in their step since the surgery at Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park.
Three king penguins aged 20 and older along with three Humboldt, between seven and 13 in age, had operations to remove cataracts, said vets from the Mandai Wildlife Group who have been looking after them.
And the king penguins received “custom-made intraocular lens implants” which involved putting artificial lenses on the eyes in what is believed to have been a “first in the world for penguins”.
Cataracts are a common age-related condition which affects humans as well as other animals.
The operations were carried out by a team led by veterinary ophthalmologist Dr Gladys Boo last December and afterwards the penguins needed to be kept out of water and given eye drops twice a day.
“Successful cataract surgery on Jurong Bird Park’s geriatric penguins, three king penguins and three Humboldt penguins, has helped them enhance their sight and improve their quality of life,” said the Madai Wildlife Group.
“The surgeries involved the removal of the cloudy lenses caused by cataracts, a common age-related condition that develops in geriatric animals and hinders their vision.”
Images have also been released of the penguins being operated on.
Vets had noticed the penguins struggling with their vision and they had the operations to “enhance their overall well-being”.
Dr Ellen Rasidi, Veterinarian, Mandai Wildlife Group said, “We noticed the cloudiness in their lens and moving about like they were having difficulty seeing things in front of them.
"Cataract surgeries for animals are increasingly common and effective for restoring vision. Together with the animal care team, we opted for this procedure to enhance their overall well-being and welfare, as well as aid in the transition to their new home in Bird Paradise when they move.
"Since the recovery period, we have observed an increase in responsiveness and activity levels in the penguins. It is nice to see them more active, indicating their improved vision, and for the king penguins – adapting well to the new lenses as well.”
Dr Boo said that the lenses used for the king penguins were custom made in Germany.
“The success of these surgeries marks a milestone in veterinary medicine. While intraocular lens implants are common for humans and some domestic mammals, it is likely the first-time they have been successfully used on penguins”, said Dr Boo.
“As a larger species, the king penguins have eyes large and stable enough to hold the custom lenses in place, so we decided to pursue this world-first procedure to further improve their vision above removing the cataract.
"The lenses were custom-made in Germany to fit each penguin’s eye based on precise measurements taken in advance and took about two months to make. Cataract surgeries on their own are already delicate procedures, but for penguins, it was made trickier by unique characteristics such as a third eyelid which protects their eyes underwater.
"The third eyelid tends to close during the surgery which can make it difficult for us to access the eye. I’m glad we were able to work through these challenges to improve the lives of these animals.”
