Penguins visit care home to give OAPs a dose of pet therapy

08 March 2024 , 15:36

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Humboldt penguins Widget and Pringle visit residents at Cedar Mews Care Home in Birstall, Leicestershire (Image: Berkley Care Group/SWNS)

Beaming care home residents lap up their latest visitors - a couple of penguins.

Seven-year-old Widget and nine-year-old Pringle popped in for an afternoon pet therapy session. The birds arrived from Heythrop Zoological Gardens, Oxfordshire, to pay residents a visit at Cedar Mews Care Home in Birstall, Leicestershire, on Wednesday (March 6).

The Humbolt penguins, from Peru and Northern Chile, were accompanied by keepers to make sure that residents could safely be close with the birds. The penguins waddled around and made friends with a lot of the residents, many of whom have dementia.

Jenna Peters, activities coordinator at the home, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have brought such a unique and joyous experience to our residents. It was truly heartening to see the smiles and hear the laughter as Widget and Pringle mingled with everyone."

The birds arrived from Heythrop Zoological Gardens to pay residents a visit (Berkley Care Group/SWNS)

"This special visit also encouraged residents who don't usually participate in activities to come and socialise. The Penguins are a testament to our commitment to enriching the lives of our residents through extraordinary experiences.

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"We believe in creating moments that matter, and the penguin visit has added a beautiful chapter to our residents' stories. We're already looking forward to planning more memorable experiences like this in the future."

Rom Preston-Ellis