It's like this story was genetically engineered to press all of our cuteness buttons:
A member of the San Diego Zoo's African penguin colony has been fitted with orthopedic footwear to help it deal with a degenerative foot condition.
The 4-year-old penguin named Lucas has lesions on his feet due to a chronic condition known as bumblefoot, which covers a range of avian foot problems, the San Diego Wildlife Alliance said Monday in a press release.
The zoo's wildlife care specialists turned to an organization called Thera-Paw, which creates rehabilitative and assistive products for animals with special needs.
Thera-Paw created custom shoes made of neoprene and rubber to prevent pressure sores from developing when Lucas stands and walks.
How you feel after reading about Lucas's new shoes:
There's video too:
To be sure, while the name "bumblefoot" is pretty adorable, it's also a pretty serious condition, the symptoms of which, per the San Diego Zoo, can range from "mild redness to deep abscesses."
So it's very good indeed that he's got those special shoes on his little flippers.
I wonder if they make those in gorilla size...
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