Beloved Penguin ambassador overcomes the odds at National Aviary
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Dottie the African Penguin was just 7 months old when she joined the National Aviary’s penguin colony 11 years ago. She quickly formed a close bond with another penguin, Stanley, and the two became inseparable. This tightly bonded pair chose each other, and their bond is what helped see Dottie through a critical time in her life.
Last year, the National Aviary’s penguin experts noticed that Dottie, a social and lively penguin, was not acting like herself.
“The National Aviary has a state-of-the-art avian hospital where Dottie received a comprehensive examination and diagnostic tests,” said Dr. Pilar Fish.
The Aviary’s team of veterinarians discovered that Dottie had developed a lung mass from pneumonia. They quickly put a treatment plan in place.
“We custom-made advanced treatments using human grade antibiotics and nebulizations,” said Dr. Fish.
Although she was physically recovering, Dr. Fish’s team noticed that Dottie was not herself when at the ICU. Penguins are very social and thrive when they are together. It was clear that Dottie was missing her mate, Stanley. So, the National Aviary’s penguin experts took Stanley over for visits, and as Dottie regained her strength, Stanley eventually moved in to the ICU to stay with her.
“Stan is devoted to Dottie and took excellent care of her while she was in ICU. He sat right by her side and comforted her. Dottie felt much better when Stan came to live with her full-time in the hospital,” said Dr. Fish.
Dottie was cared for in the avian ICU for 7 months and made a full recovery with the help of Stanley by her side as moral support. A healthy and thriving Dottie and her devoted partner just made a triumphant return to the colony at Penguin Point.
“When Dottie and Stan first entered Penguin Point, we could see how happy they were to return home after a long hospital stay. Dottie ran into Penguin Point with Stanley following her. They went straight to their cave and Stanley loudly brayed (called) as if he was announcing to all the penguins they were home,” explained Dr. Fish.
The high-level medical care Dottie received in the National Aviary’s hospital will be important for the health of other penguins with the same condition. The National Aviary shares new advancements in penguin health care with zoos and wildlife centers around the world. Other penguins will benefit from the specific treatment developed that helped Dottie fully recover. African Penguins are critically endangered and the National Aviary is dedicated to helping care for all penguins worldwide. Every individual penguin is important to their species’ survival.
“We’re thrilled Dottie is now back to normal and feels great,” said Dr. Fish. “Dottie’s successful recovery allows her to rejoin the penguin colony and be part of the Species Survival Plan, helping African Penguin populations rebound.”
While the National Aviary was closed, contributions to our Emergency Care Efforts helped ensure that birds like Dottie and the 550 birds that call the National Aviary home continued to have the highest standard of care possible. Just because our world changed doesn’t mean theirs did. Moving forward, community support is critical to meeting the needs of our birds. Readers can support these efforts at aviary.org/make-a-donation.
Caring for birds and mammals is still our top priority during these uncertain times. Please consider helping today. Through your donation or membership, we can continue providing for animals at the National Aviary, as well as sustain our educational programming. Together, we can save birds and protect their habitats.
Watch this video about Dottie!
Sponsored by the National Aviary.