Recently hatched penguin has irreparable hole in heart at Monterey Bay Aquarium
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Monterey Bay Aquarium shared the tragic news that their recently hatched African penguin chick Pfeiffer has an irreparable heart defect.
Baby Pfeiffer has been found with a hole in their heart that can't be repaired, and they will require extra attention, according to a UC Davis Veterinarian.
"We always hope that every animal at the Aquarium will live a long and healthy life. For animals like Pfeiffer that face challenges, we ensure that their lives – however long – are the best they can be," said the Monterey Bay Aquarium in an Instagram post.
Penguins are social birds, and Pfeiffer especially likes to splish-splash with other penguins and loves to be in the water.
"A strong-willed and independent juvenile penguin, Pfeiffer lets our aviculturists know that they are big enough to take care of themselves, said Aviculturist Dominique Blair. "Pfeiffer often gives me a very obvious side-eye judgment when I'm doing silly human things like singing/dancing during cleaning or trying to play with their enrichment items.”
