Penguin gets his own wetsuit

A bald penguin called Ralph is enjoying a new lease of life at a Hampshire wildlife park - after being fitted with his own tailor-made wetsuit.

Unlike the rest of the colony of Humboldt penguins, which lose their old feathers gradually, nine-year-old Ralph's always fall out in one day.

It leaves him at severe risk of sunburn and he faced being kept indoors for three weeks until his new set had grown, reports the Daily Mail.

David White, assistant manager of Penguin World at Marwell, near Winchester, said: "Ralph is perfectly healthy so we don't know why his feathers all drop out at once."

He and his colleagues had thought about covering him in suncream but decided it would wash off in water.

Then they hit on the wetsuit idea and fashioned him the rubber outfit from the leg of a man's wetsuit.

"Ralph must be the first scuba penguin but he seems so at ease that we've been thinking maybe we should get him a mask and snorkel as well," said Mr White.

Keeper Helen Jeffreys added: "Ralph's really taken to his new suit. It's not inhibiting him in any way. He's just getting on with his daily business.

"All the other penguins were intrigued by his new clothes and they spent a good while checking him out.

"But when they realised it was still Ralph under the suit they seemed quite happy and don't really pay it any attention any more."

http://www.ananova.com/News/story/sm_3439820.html

See also: http://www.thelondonpaper.com/thelondonpaper/weird/bald-ralphs-wetsuit-makes-him-the-uks-best-dressed-penguin