Baby penguin at Edinburgh Zoo recovers from life-saving surgery to remove eye
A baby penguin has recovered from a life-saving surgery to remove an eye after an infection at Edinburgh Zoo.
Staff had previously noticed that Poly the Northern rockhopper penguin chick was suffering after discovering the injury during a routine check.
After she did not respond to medication, the wildlife conservation charity's expert veterinary team moved forward with surgery to remove the afflicted eye.
Stephanie Mota, veterinary surgeon at RZSS, said, "We were really concerned when Poly's eye ulcer didn't respond to medication, and we knew we had to act quickly. Surgery is always a last resort due to the additional risks it carries, especially for such a young chick.
"But in this case, it was the only option left to keep her comfortable. Eye problems can be painful and unfortunately there was no way to save the eye.
"Poly required intensive care after the surgery. She was very sick and for a while everyone feared she wouldn't make it.
"Our dedicated keepers and vets went above and beyond, coming in for extra shifts as early as 6am and as late as 10pm to ensure she had everything she needed, including extra feedings.
"They did an incredible job keeping her comfortable and it's fantastic to see her thriving again.
Post-surgery, Poly was cared for in a specialised creche, separate from the main penguin colony.
After showing positive signs of recovery, she was reintroduced and reunited with her parents, who took her under their wing without hesitation.
Daily veterinary check-ins and ongoing medication continued to ensure her recovery progressed without issue.
Stephanie added, "It's especially exciting because not only is Poly a sweetheart, but due to the rockhopper's Enangered status, every new addition to the colony is a meaningful step toward securing the future of the species."
Poly has been cleared by the vets and is off her medication, no longer requiring daily monitoring.
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Scotsman
06-08-2025
- Scotsman
A Northern rockhopper penguin chick at Edinburgh Zoo has made a remarkable recovery after undergoing surgery. Poly has now been cleared by the vets and is off her medication, no longer requiring daily
Watch Poly the penguin chick having a check-up at Edinburgh Zoo, after she underwent surgery. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A Northern rockhopper penguin chick at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has made a remarkable recovery after undergoing surgery to remove an eye affected by a life-threatening infection. After discovering the injury during a routine check, which did not respond to medication, the wildlife conservation charity's expert veterinary team moved forward with surgery to remove the afflicted eye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Post-surgery, Poly was cared for in a specialised creche, separate from the main penguin colony. After showing positive signs of recovery, she was reintroduced and reunited with her parents, who took her under their wing without hesitation. Edinburgh Zoo penguin chick Poly. | Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Daily veterinary check-ins and ongoing medication continued to ensure her recovery progressed without issue. Poly has been cleared by the vets and is off her medication, no longer requiring daily monitoring. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Veterinary surgeon at RZSS Stephanie Mota says keepers did 'an incredible job keeping her comfortable and it's fantastic to see her thriving again' Stephanie Mota, veterinary surgeon at RZSS, said: 'We were really concerned when Poly's eye ulcer didn't respond to medication, and we knew we had to act quickly. Surgery is always a last resort due to the additional risks it carries, especially for such a young chic. But in this case, it was the only option left to keep her comfortable. Eye problems can be painful and unfortunately there was no way to save the eye. Edinburgh Zoo penguin chick Poly had surgery to remove an eye affected by a life-threatening infection. | Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's (RZSS) 'Poly required intensive care after the surgery. She was very sick and for a while everyone feared she wouldn't make it. 'Our dedicated keepers and vets went above and beyond, coming in for extra shifts as early as 6am and as late as 10pm to ensure she had everything she needed, including extra feedings. They did an incredible job keeping her comfortable and it's fantastic to see her thriving again. Edinburgh Zoo penguin chick Poly gets a check-up. | Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) 'It's especially exciting because not only is Poly a sweetheart, but due to the rockhopper's Endangered status, every new addition to the colony is a meaningful step toward securing the future of the species.'
Daily Record
01-08-2025
- Daily Record
Baby penguin at Edinburgh Zoo recovers from life-saving surgery to remove eye
Staff had previously noticed that Poly the Northern rockhopper penguin chick was suffering after discovering the injury during a routine check. A baby penguin has recovered from a life-saving surgery to remove an eye after an infection at Edinburgh Zoo. Staff had previously noticed that Poly the Northern rockhopper penguin chick was suffering after discovering the injury during a routine check. After she did not respond to medication, the wildlife conservation charity's expert veterinary team moved forward with surgery to remove the afflicted eye. Stephanie Mota, veterinary surgeon at RZSS, said, "We were really concerned when Poly's eye ulcer didn't respond to medication, and we knew we had to act quickly. Surgery is always a last resort due to the additional risks it carries, especially for such a young chick. "But in this case, it was the only option left to keep her comfortable. Eye problems can be painful and unfortunately there was no way to save the eye. "Poly required intensive care after the surgery. She was very sick and for a while everyone feared she wouldn't make it. "Our dedicated keepers and vets went above and beyond, coming in for extra shifts as early as 6am and as late as 10pm to ensure she had everything she needed, including extra feedings. "They did an incredible job keeping her comfortable and it's fantastic to see her thriving again. Post-surgery, Poly was cared for in a specialised creche, separate from the main penguin colony. After showing positive signs of recovery, she was reintroduced and reunited with her parents, who took her under their wing without hesitation. Daily veterinary check-ins and ongoing medication continued to ensure her recovery progressed without issue. Stephanie added, "It's especially exciting because not only is Poly a sweetheart, but due to the rockhopper's Enangered status, every new addition to the colony is a meaningful step toward securing the future of the species." Poly has been cleared by the vets and is off her medication, no longer requiring daily monitoring.
STV News
01-08-2025
- STV News
Penguin chick makes 'remarkable recovery' after life-saving surgery
A penguin chick has made a 'remarkable recovery' after undergoing life-saving surgery at Edinburgh Zoo. A Northern rockhopper penguin chick named Poly recently underwent surgery to remove an eye affected by a life-threatening infection. Zookeepers at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo discovered the injury during a routine check. The infection did not respond to medication, and the wildlife conservation charity's veterinary team decided to surgically to remove the afflicted eye. Edinburgh Zoo Penguin chick makes remarkable recovery after life-saving surgery 'We were really concerned when Poly's eye ulcer didn't respond to medication, and we knew we had to act quickly,' Stephanie Mota, veterinary surgeon at RZSS, said. 'Poly required intensive care after the surgery. She was very sick, and for a while, everyone feared she wouldn't make it. 'Our dedicated keepers and vets went above and beyond, coming in for extra shifts as early as 6am and as late as 10pm to ensure she had everything she needed, including extra feedings. 'They did an incredible job keeping her comfortable and it's fantastic to see her thriving again.' Post-surgery, Poly was cared for in a specialised creche, separate from the main penguin colony. After showing signs of recovery, she was reintroduced and reunited with her parents, who took her back under their wing without hesitation. Edinburgh Zoo Poly was cared for in a specialised creche Poly has now been cleared by the vets and is off her medication, no longer requiring daily monitoring, the zoo has said. Visitors can spot her, along with the other rockhopper chicks, as they grow alongside the colony at Edinburgh Zoo's Penguins Rock. Ms Mota added: 'It's especially exciting because not only is Poly a sweetheart, but due to the rockhopper's Endangered status, every new addition to the colony is a meaningful step toward securing the future of the species.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
