In Cornwall, Spneb is a slightly special Humboldt penguin. It is the oldest of his species in the world. Born in 1988 at the Birdworld Zoo in Surrey, Spneb arrived shortly after in the Paradise Park zoological reserve.
The dean of Humboldt penguins spoiled by his healers
They have confirmed that SPNEB is the oldest known specimen of this species. However, this does not prevent the penguin from being in great shape. As Becky Waite says, one of the caregivers, Spneb is “surprisingly well” for his age.
To mark the occasion, the Paradise Park team prepared a birthday cake for Manchot. It was a Sprat iced cake, Spneb's favorite little fish. The cake was also surmounted by a plush penguin made by one of its healers.
SPNEB is not the only Humboldt penguin from the Cornwall Zoological Reserve. “We have a colony of 24 Humboldt penguins, including two chicks,” says Becky Waite.
Spneb is healthy despite a difficult route
The SPNEB penguin is also a female. She has a good appetite and “she likes to monitor young people from her box, and her favorite companion is one of the oldest males”. Her name SPNEB comes from an intensive treatment she was taking when she was younger.
The penguin had developed a fungal disease called aspergillosis in 2007. The name therefore comes from the drug “SP” and the “Neb” nebulizer. The female received four months of intensive care and recovered well, despite some minor scars with the lungs.
Humboldt (Spheniscus Humboldti) penguins are the most common in zoos around the world. In the wild, they are found in South America and more mainly on the coastal areas of Chile and Peru.
A quick small penguin, but in danger
These are medium -sized penguins that generally weigh less than 5 kg for a length ranging from 65 to 70 cm. They are able to swim up to 30 km/h to flee predators or hunt fish and crustaceans they feed.
You should also know that the Humboldt penguin is today a threatened species. The species suffered in particular from the exploitation of the Guano from 1850. It is a natural fertilizer rich in nitrogen which is formed by the droppings of sea birds.
Penguins, however, need the guano to build their nest. They live in coastal areas with little vegetation, so they directly dig their nests in the droppings accumulated on site.
Intensive fishing, hunting and pollution also participated in the decline in Humboldt penguins. It is estimated today that there are around 8,000 individuals in the wild.
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