There are some things that sound silly when you say them that are actually really good ideas when implemented correctly. For example, when we say that there is a penguin at the zoo wearing shoes, it sounds silly. It almost sounds like something we would see in a cartoon. Yet, in reality, it is far from a joke, and the shoes are providing much needed pain relief.

Enrique is 30 years old. While that is not very old for a human, for a penguin it is much longer than the average life expectancy. Enrique is a penguin who lives at the St. Louis Zoo. If he were a penguin living in the wild, his life expectancy would only be about 10 years. Enrique is definitely living quite a long life for a penguin.

While long life is a good thing, it comes with its drawbacks. For example, as we get older, sometimes our bodies don’t work as well as they did when we were younger. Sometimes people find themselves living with treatable diseases, and possibly living in pain. Enrique is no exception.

The elderly penguin suffers from arthritis in his feet, and zookeepers noticed that Enrique had also developed calluses on his feet. This condition caused him to move quite slowly. In order to make life more comfortable for the penguin, the zoo had a special pair of boots designed for his feet, and the boots seem to be helping.

🐧👞This week, our geriatric penguin Enrique was seen showing off the therapeutic support boots he wears for arthritis. Like many zoo animals, Enrique is far older than would be expected if he were to live in the wild, and his cool kicks allow him to live a more comfortable life. https://t.co/gG49QG89vu

— Saint Louis Zoo (@stlzoo) June 18, 2021

Watch the video below to learn more about Enrique and to see his new shoes for yourself.

Does it surprise you that a penguin living in a zoo could live 20 years past his life expectancy in the wild? Did you know a penguin could get arthritis?