- Tess is the oldest African penguin in the world and received treatment from Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital
- Her wounds were first spotted following a skirmish at Pueblo Zoo, which passed along tissue samples to CSU, the university said
- Concentrated radiation known as electronic brachytherapy was performed on Tess for just under 22 minutes as a non-invasive procedure, CSU said
- She reportedly spent two weeks in isolation before she re-entered her penguin exhibit and got back into her nest with mate Mongo
A elderly penguin from a Colorado zoo underwent radiation for a tumor at a veterinary hospital earlier this month – and is now on display again and with her mate.
Tess, a resident of Pueblo Zoo, is the oldest African penguin in the world and received treatment from Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the university said in a release.
African penguins will likely die out in twenty years, and most wild members of the species do not make it over the age of 20, CSU said
40-year-old Tess’s wounds were first spotted following a skirmish at Pueblo Zoo, which passed along tissue samples from an extracted mass to CSU, the university said.
Pueblo Zoo veterinarian Dr. Kathy Wolyn said of Tess – an indoor penguin – in a statement ‘If you didn’t know her, you would never guess she’s as old as she is. That’s why we wanted to pursue further treatment for her tumor.’
CSU said that Tess’s mass showed up again and proved malignant. During her stay at the veterinary hospital, the elderly bird underwent a CT scan, which found that her face had a tumor ‘about the size of a pinto bean.’
Concentrated radiation known as electronic brachytherapy was performed on Tess for just under 22 minutes as a non-invasive procedure, CSU said.
Homecoming: Tess, seen wearing a pink band on her wing, is now back in Pueblo Zoo’s penguin exhibit and with her mate Mongo
CSU veterinarian Dr. Matthew Johnston said ‘Some people would ask, “Why are you putting all of these resources into an individual animal?” But, if this individual animal can tell a story that helps globally with the African penguin, then it’s all worth it.’
Tess slept in the arms of her zookeeper during her trip back to Pueblo Zoo that night, and her tumor is now shedding, the university said.
Tess spent two weeks in isolation before she re-entered Pueblo Zoo’s penguin exhibit and got back into her nest with 33-year-old Mongo, her mate, CSU said.
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