GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Just like our human neighbors get annual checkups, our feathered neighbors do, too. The animal care team at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids spent several hours Thursday giving exams to their colony of Magellanic penguins.
Depending on the penguin, it takes 15 minutes for each one to get checked out. With 24 penguins, zoo staff do it "assembly line style" with stations for checking their beaks and nails, blood draws and X-rays.
"It's our main chance to get hands on our penguins and get blood work so we can tell if there's any issues that are going on that we can address," said Dan Hemmann, curator at John Ball Zoo.
The penguins have varying reactions to their medical care.
"We have some that are very used to being handled and really good for people, and we have some that fight the entire time that don't don't appreciate the care we give them," Hemmann said with a laugh.
While the penguins are out of their enclosure, workers take the opportunity to deep clean their habitat.
The zoo is closed for the season, but there are special encounters neighbors can check out alongside zookeepers. The zoo cares for more than 2,000 animals year-round.
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