• •New England Aquarium staff are providing acupuncture treatments to a 29-year-old African penguin named Meryl to manage chronic arthritis.
• •Veterinary teams report that the treatment aims to reduce inflammation and pain, allowing the bird to maintain mobility despite her advanced age.
• •While acupuncture is increasingly utilized in exotic animal medicine, the specific clinical efficacy metrics for geriatric penguins remain anecdotal rather than peer-reviewed.

The New England Aquarium has integrated acupuncture into the geriatric care plan for Meryl, a 29-year-old African penguin suffering from age-related arthritis. While standard avian medicine typically relies on NSAIDs for pain management, this integrative approach attempts to provide relief without the potential side effects of long-term medication. Though the aquarium reports positive behavioral changes in the bird, there is currently no standardized data across the zoo industry on whether these sessions offer significant long-term clinical benefits for flightless birds. The success of this treatment may influence how aging populations in other aquariums are managed as lifespans for captive penguins continue to extend.