Garlic keeps penguins healthy
2007-07-04 15:09
Shanghai, China - As if fish-breath wasn't bad enough.
Keepers at Shanghai's zoo are feeding the penguins garlic to help ward off respiratory problems and other illnesses during the Chinese financial centre's long, humid, summer rainy season, local media reported on Wednesday.
Penguins are highly sensitive to a mould that grows in their enclosure, and in past rainy seasons some have become weak and sick after ingesting it.
Garlic helps fortify their respiratory systems, as well as protect their intestines and stomach, the Shanghai Morning Post said.
Getting them to eat it isn't easy, however, since garlic isn't part of their natural diet and penguins tend to be picky about their food.
Zookeepers have to stuff three to four cloves of garlic per bird in the fish they regularly feed on, the reports said.
Keepers have also arranged two sun baths per day to keep the rainy day blues at bay, they said.
- AP