Bumblefoot and the challenges of penguin rehabilitation

Penguins are birds that spend about 75% of their lives at sea, and when found weakened, they are sent to rehabilitation centres. However, their extensive adaptations to marine life act as limiting factors in captivity, with frequent cases of bumblefoot, or pododermatitis. This is a foot condition that can progress to septicaemia and death. This study evaluates the epidemiology of bumblefoot in penguins kept in captivity at a recovery centre in order to minimise the damage associated with the syndrome during the rehabilitation period.