Pierre (penguin)

Pierre (February 16, 1983 – May 6, 2016) was a special African penguin. He lived at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Pierre became famous because he was the first penguin to have his bald spots fixed. This was done with a custom-made wetsuit.

Pierre's Life Story

Pierre hatched at the Maryland Zoo in 1983. He moved to the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco in June of that year.

In 1997, when Pierre was 14, he started coughing. This was due to an allergic reaction that caused swelling in his breathing tubes. He was given medicine to help him. Most penguins live to be about 15 years old. Pierre did not have other major health problems at that time.

On April 15, 2016, doctors found that Pierre's kidneys were failing. He passed away on May 6, 2016.

Pierre's Feather Problem

In June 2004, Pierre went through what seemed like his last feather molt. Molting is when birds shed old feathers to grow new ones. After this molt, Pierre did not grow back all his feathers. He had bald spots on his chest, back, tail, and head.

Pierre was the leader, or alpha male, of his penguin group. But because he lost his feathers, he started to become shy. The other penguins began to avoid him. He also stopped swimming much. The water was too cold for him without his full coat of feathers. This put him at risk of getting dangerously cold, a condition called hypothermia.

Doctors checked Pierre in 2007. They found no serious infections. His feather samples looked normal. The only internal issue seemed to be a mild kidney problem.

Pierre's Wetsuit Solution

Pam Schaller, a senior aquatic biologist, noticed Pierre shivering. She tried different ways to warm him up. She gave him extra time in a sunny area and used a heat lamp. A hormone treatment also did not work. Then, she thought about how divers stay warm in cold water. They wear wetsuits.

Designing the Special Suit

In 2007, Pam Schaller worked with a company called Oceanic Worldwide. They also got help from a seamstress named Celeste Argel. Together, they designed a special wetsuit just for Pierre. The suit was made to keep Pierre warm in the cold water. Without it, he could have died from the cold.

The wetsuit looked like a vest. This design allowed Pierre to waddle and swim easily. It was made from 3 mm-thick neoprene material. This material is used in human wetsuits. It keeps warmth in, whether it's wet or dry. The vest fastened with Velcro.

They tested different colors like white, brown, and black. The other penguins seemed curious about the lighter colors. So, black was chosen because it was the least noticeable. The vest had holes for Pierre's wings. This let him move them freely. The Velcro fastener went up and down the vest. This meant the suit could still fit if Pierre gained or lost a little weight.

Success of the Wetsuit

After a few tries, the wetsuit fit Pierre perfectly. NPR even called him "the world's best-dressed penguin." The other penguins seemed to agree. Once Pierre started swimming again in his vest, they stopped picking on him.

Why Did Pierre Lose His Feathers?

Staff noticed that Pierre had no molting problems before he started taking his allergy medicine. They sometimes took him off the medicine for months to see if it was working.

The wetsuit was worn during a time when Pierre was not on his medicine. So, it is not fully known if the medicine caused his feather problem. Another idea was that Pierre was using too much energy, which caused issues.

After Pierre recovered in April 2008, he was put back on his medicine. Even though the experiment was not perfect, everyone agreed it was the right choice. Pierre clearly needed to stay warm.

Six weeks after he started wearing the vest, Pierre showed signs of getting better. His new feathers began to grow in. The wetsuit was then removed.

Pierre regained his position as the leader of his penguin group. He oversaw 19 other penguins.