If the shoe fits: lucky penguin receives life-saving new boots

Lucas the African penguin suffers from degenerative condition causing painful lesions on feet

A penguin in California has received a special pair of new shoes that have not only saved his life but also go quite nicely with his ever-present tuxedo.

Lucas, a four-year-old African penguin living at the San Diego Zoo, was recently fitted with a pair of prosthetic boots to help him deal with a debilitating disease called bumblefoot.

The degenerative condition causes painful lesions that, if left untreated, can lead to infection and death.

After Lucas was diagnosed, the zoo’s wildlife care specialists turned to an organisation called Thera-Paw, which creates rehabilitative and assistive products for animals with special needs, AP reported.

The organisation designed shoes for Lucas containing neoprene and rubber that will minimise pressure on his feet and keep him from developing lesions.

“I've known Lucas for a long time, so having the ability to provide him with a chance to live a normal life brings a smile to my face,” the zoo's senior veterinary surgeon Beth Bickense told UPI.

Msituni the giraffe — in pictures

Msituni, a giraffe born with an unusual disorder that caused her legs to bend the wrong way, is cared for at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, California. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP

Zoo staff feared she could die if they didn't immediately correct the condition. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP

Msituni was fitted with custom-molded carbon graphite orthotic braces by using cast moldings of her legs that were crafted by Hanger Clinic at the zoo. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP

Zoo veterinarians and experts in orthotics at the Hanger Clinic fit braces to Msituni. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP

The brace features the animal's distinct pattern of crooked spots to match her fur. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP

Her mom never took her back, but another female has 'adopted' her and she now runs alongside the other giraffes. Reuters

Ara Mirzaian hopes to hang up a picture of the baby giraffe in her patterned brace so the kids he treats will be inspired to wear theirs. AP

A baby giraffe runs in the sun. Reuters

“The boots are cushioned and Velcroed in place, so they will help Lucas to fully participate in the colony and showcase behaviours that are more typical for a penguin — such as climbing the rocks, swimming, nesting and finding a suitable mate.”

Zoo officials told KFMB-TV that, following Lucas being fitted with the boots, his posture and gait improved, allowing him to maintain his balance better and move around his habitat more easily.

He will also be able to take up tap dancing, should he be so inclined.

But all is not so rosy for other African penguins: the population of the animals in the wild has declined by as much as 95 per cent since the pre-industrial era.

Poaching, pollution and human encroachment into their native habitat have pushed the penguins on to the endangered species list.

Animals in danger of extinction due to climate change — in pictures

Some of the planet’s most stunning creatures, including giraffes and parrots, are at risk from global warming and other human-induced environmental change, the UN has warned. Photo: AFP

Giraffes stand by the shade of a tree in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. Photo: AP

Some analysts have concluded that the likes of toucans, puffins and hummingbirds may face particularly uncertain futures. Photo: EPA

A hummingbird flies at a garden in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Photo: AFP

Wildfires in southern France. Tree species are facing several threats including an increase in the frequency of wildfires due to climate change and deforestation because of industry, agriculture and firewood. Photo: AFP