SOUTH AMERICA. – Researchers in Chile have designed a unique copper and zinc jacket for injured penguins that helps them recover after injuries.
ABC News reports the jackets are made for Humboldt penguins that are often injured when they become trapped in fishing nets. They are worn after surgery to protect the wounds.
According to Phys.org veterinarians have been using similar jackets for dogs and cats for years. The material contains microscopic particles of copper and zinc woven into the fabric. It prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi. Zinc also helps new blood vessels to form, which speeds up healing.
Penguins have highly flexible necks and can therefore easily scratch their wounds and pull out stitches. The jacket prevents them from reaching the wounds on their bodies.
The jackets were tested on five penguins at the Humboldt Conservation Centre in Coquimbo. Four of their wounds were likely caused by human-made factors, such as entanglement in fishing nets.
The project is a collaborative effort between the Humboldt Conservation Centre, the Catholic University of the North and textile company Kimba Vet. The Buin Zoo near Santiago also helped by taking measurements of penguins for the first jackets.
Humboldt penguin numbers have declined sharply recently. Research between 2024 and 2025 showed a 63 percent decrease in active nests compared with three years earlier.
Sources: ABC News, NewsNation, Phys.org
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
