CINCINNATI — Barry Larkin — the African penguin, not the person, of course — can head for home a little more easily now, with the help of 3D printing and her care team at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
Since she was born in the spring, the 7-month-old penguin has battled health issues. First, the zoo said she had to be hand-raised because, despite her parents best efforts, she struggled to eat.
Now, after her caregivers at the zoo noticed she was struggling a bit to get around her habitat, she's sporting some fancy new footwear to help her out.
"We noticed that Larkin was having trouble walking," said Rickey Kinley, head keeper of birds at the Cincinnati Zoo, in a press release. "It was very odd because sometimes she walked normally but other times it was difficult."
One of the zoo's veterinarians created a sort of boot for Larkin from a material that, when heated, could be fitted to the Larkin's foot imprint, said Kinley.
"This boot is helping quite a bit, but there are a few issues with the shape and the way that it is secured to the foot," said Kinley.
Encouraged by how much the original boot helped Larkin get around, the bird team got to work brainstorming how to improve it to better fit Larkin and her mobility needs.
That's when they turned to 3D printing.
The zoo's enrichment team were able to design custom shoes just for Larkin that aim to keep the penguin's tendon from slipping out of place when she walks.
"Larkin stood still quite well during the scanning process so the team has some good images to work with," said Kinley. "When the new shoes are ready, our hope is that they will provide support in and out of the water."
The shoes are still a work in progress and the zoo plans to continue to develop the prototype design to fit Larkin's needs the best they can. For now, the penguin's fancy footwear is designed to provide corrective support but her caretakers are ready, should she need it more long-term.
"For now, the shoe's only purpose is to provide corrective support," said Kinley. "If she continues to need them, we may put more effort into making them stylish."
Larkin can be visited with the other African Penguins at Penguin Point in the zoo, but because she and her family are warm weather penguins, they will only be outside when temperatures are above freezing.
According to the Cincinnati Zoo, a recent DNA test formally confirmed Larkin is a female penguin; when Larkin was born, that information wasn't available yet.
Seven month old African penguin chick Larkin is navigating her habitat better with 3D printed shoes designed to help with a unique foot condition. https://t.co/mHvfAXQw6Z pic.twitter.com/LZGnQbrIUl
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) November 2, 2023
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