Wonder Twin, an Adelie penguin, was suffering from bald spots in her feathers, meaning she was finding it difficult to regulate her body temperature. Fortunately, her keepers have fashioned a tailor-made wetsuit for her just in time for the winter weather.
Wonder Twin lives at the penguin enclosure at Seaworld Orlando. Seaworld says that feather-loss can occur in wild populations and if left untreated can be extremely detrimental to the penguin's health. Penguins are covered in over 100 short and broad feathers per every square inch, providing much-needed insulation in the Antarctic cold.
Seaworld has taken a lot of heat over the past few years for its treatment of orcas, particularly following the awarding-winning documentary Blackfish in 2013. In light of the public pressure generated from the film and subsequent investigations, Seaworld announced it would end its orca live shows and the current generation of captive orcas will be the last in their possession.
On the other hand, their penguin conservation program is comparatively well-regarded. But as cute as Adelie penguins may be, don’t be fooled. These small penguins have a dastardly reputation when it comes to their sex lives, indulging in rape, gang rape, sexual abuse of chicks, and necrophilia. In fact, when Dr George Murray Levick first reported this sexual behavior in 1911, it was deemed too inappropriate to ever be published.
Damn, who would have thought such a cute little wetsuit-wearing creature called Wonder Twin could have such a dark backstory?
2