Researchers in Chile have developed a therapeutic suit containing copper and zinc to help penguins recover faster from injuries.
Scientists have tested the suits on five penguins found along Chile’s coast, four of which had sustained wounds believed to have been caused by human activity, most likely entanglement in fishing nets, according to Reuters.
The technology was adapted from copper-infused bodysuits previously developed for four-legged animals, with researchers redesigning them to suit the anatomy and movement of birds.
The project is a collaboration between the non-profit Humboldt Conservation Center, the Catholic University of the North, and textile innovation company Kimba Vet.
Copper and zinc aid recovery
Protecting wounds during rehabilitation can be particularly difficult because penguins have highly flexible necks, allowing them to reach surgical wounds and potentially remove stitches or reopen injuries.
“They are wild animals with very flexible necks,” Humboldt Conservation Center President and veterinarian Tomás Pino told Reuters, highlighting the challenge of protecting wounds during recovery.
Despite containing copper and zinc, the suits do not have a metallic appearance. Instead, microscopic particles of both metals are incorporated directly into the fibres of the red fabric rather than applied as a surface coating.
Kimba Vet marketing manager Estefanía Guidotti said copper and zinc help prevent the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mites during recovery.
According to Guidotti, zinc also encourages the formation of new blood vessels, helping damaged tissue heal more quickly.
Protecting vulnerable penguins
The suits were tested on five Humboldt and Magellanic penguins at the Humboldt Conservation Center in Coquimbo, which rehabilitates both species of penguins found along Chile’s central rocky coastline.
The Humboldt penguin is classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
“The series of threats facing penguins today has not diminished,” Chile’s National Zoo marine biologist Guillermo Cubillos told Reuters last year.
Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, is home to around 80% of the world’s remaining Humboldt penguins.
Scientists at the Universidad de Concepción estimate the population has fallen from around 45,000 in the late 1990s to fewer than 20,000.
The copper-zinc suits could offer researchers another tool to improve rehabilitation outcomes for injured birds as conservationists work to protect Chile’s declining Humboldt penguin population.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: The Nature Conservancy
