Penguins in Singapore undergo world-first cataract surgery

After a quick 30 km drive, sitting in buckets filled with ice while being transported in air-conditioned vans, three king penguins and three Humboldt penguins arrived at a clinic in Singapore’s east. A five-person experienced veterinary team was waiting for them there to perform a delicate eye procedure, possibly a world-first for penguins.

The birds underwent surgery for the removal of the cloudy lenses caused by cataracts before receiving custom-made intraocular lens implants. The lenses were manufactured in Germany and took roughly a couple of months to make, the Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) informed.

The delicate procedure took up to 2.5 hours for each penguin and after almost three months, the sextet can see clearly now, with a significant increase in responsiveness and activity levels.

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MWG manages more than 21,000 animals across four wildlife parks in Singapore. The group had previously carried out cataract surgeries on orangutans, sea lions, and other geriatric animals. In order to treat foot disease, it also adopted innovations like printing 3D protective shoes for birds of prey.

Dr Gladys Boo, who led the procedure, called it a “milestone” in veterinary medicine. The surgery wasn’t free from complications due to certain unique characteristics of the birds, such as a third eyelid that protects their eyes underwater but had a tendency to close during the procedure.

The cost of the delicate surgery hasn’t been disclosed yet.

The six penguins from Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park were first diagnosed by Dr Boo during check-ups conducted last August. The birds had to stay out of the water and in a separate den. Eye drops were also routinely administered.