Spneb, believed to be the world’s oldest living Humboldt penguin, turned 37 on April 16 at Paradise Park, a sanctuary in the seaside town of Hayle, Cornwall, England. Keepers marked the milestone with a birthday cake made of ice and stuffed with sprats, Spneb’s favorite fish.
Hatched in 1988 at Birdworld in Surrey, Spneb moved to Cornwall the following year. Humboldt penguins typically live 15 to 20 years in the wild, making Spneb’s longevity exceptional. The female penguin now spends much of her time resting in a warm nest beside her partner, Prince, though staff say she still rushes to the feeding pool whenever the lunch bucket clinks.
Spneb got her unusual name in 2007 when vets wrote “SPNEB” on her chart for the medication they gave her for her chest infection, and the nickname stuck. Head keeper Nick Baldwin now just calls her “Grandma,” joking that one quick flap of her flipper is enough to keep the young penguins in line. Unlike the snow-dwelling species made famous in films, Humboldt penguins live along the rocky Pacific shores of Peru and northern Chile. Listed as vulnerable, they face threats like dwindling fish stocks, encroaching industrial fisheries, plastic pollution, and rapidly warming seas. Paradise Park participates in a global breeding program and supports grassroots shoreline clean-ups along the ecologically rich Humboldt Current.
Baldwin says Spneb’s long life highlights the importance of good care and protection for endangered species.
May For The Teen Times teen/1746585075/1613367697
1. What special treat did the keepers give Spneb for her birthday?
2. Where did Spneb hatch, and where did she move in 1989?
3. What does Spneb do when she hears the lunch bucket clink?
4. How did Spneb get her unusual name?
1. What does Spneb’s story tell us about the importance of animal care in captivity?
2. How do you feel about giving animals names based on funny or unexpected events?
3. Why is it important for places like Paradise Park to support breeding programs?
4. Do you think birthday celebrations for animals in zoos and parks are meaningful? Why or why not?
Spneb, believed to be the world’s oldest living Humboldt penguin, turned 37 on April 16 at Paradise Park, a sanctuary in the seaside town of Hayle, Cornwall, England. Keepers marked the milestone with a birthday cake made of ice and stuffed with sprats, Spneb’s favorite fish.
