rural penguin

I love the Norfolk coast and its therefore good to see its therapeutic setting doesn’t just work for humans – this story tells us:

An arthritic penguin will have his special needs catered for when he moves to a new home in Norfolk.

Dippy, a Humboldt penguin, is the senior bird in his colony at the Seaview Wildlife Encounter on the Isle of Wight, which is shutting for good.

Along with 10 other penguins, Dippy will be rehomed at Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre.

Staff there said a ramp was already in place for Dippy to “waddle into the pool rather than jump in”.

“When our pool first opened in 2009 we had an arthritic female penguin, Lola, so we had a ramp built,” said Sea Life’s penguin curator Christine Pitcher.

“Lola passed away two years ago aged 23, but now the special arrangements we made for her can be of benefit to Dippy.”

Dippy’s home on the Isle of Wight is set to close because of “the seasonal nature of the business and stiffer legislation and regulation”, its owners said.