Pip, a 29-year-old African penguin at Boston's New England Aquarium, has been getting acupuncture for the past nine months after developing a limp and an abnormal gait tied to age-related arthritis. At 29, Pip has already lived to roughly twice the typical life expectancy for his species, and staff say the treatment has improved his gait.
The treatment began after aquarium veterinary staff noticed Pip developing a limp and worked through different pain medications before turning to integrative therapies including acupuncture, according to WCVB. The station reports that acupuncture works by decreasing inflammation and increasing circulation in affected areas, and that African penguins commonly develop osteoarthritis or spinal disease as they age. Combined with physical therapy, the approach lets veterinarians reduce pain-medication dosages while still improving an animal's quality of life.
In Peeko's case, the aquarium said her sessions typically ran about 15 minutes, with 10 to 14 needles placed in areas of muscle tightness to stimulate circulation and loosen fascia, according to the New England Aquarium. Trainers used tactile reinforcement during Peeko's needle placement, and WBZ NewsRadio reported that she relaxed and preened herself and her trainers, per WBZ NewsRadio. Per WCVB, Pip has responded positively to the treatment, according to aquarium trainers, often offering to preen and court them during sessions and appearing more relaxed afterward — and the station reports he showed an improved gait as a result.
A Veteran Acupuncturist and a Growing Elderly Flock
The acupuncturist treating Pip, Dr. Claire McManus, brings 25 years of experience treating humans and animals and has volunteered with the aquarium for nearly 15 years, working with penguins and rescued sea turtles, according to the aquarium. She is a Fellow of the American Board of Animal Acupuncture and administers treatments in coordination with the aquarium's Director of Animal Health.
Pip is not the aquarium's first penguin patient. In March 2024, the facility used acupuncture to manage degenerative spinal disease and acute joint inflammation in Peeko, a 30-year-old female African penguin whose age was twice the upper end of the species' typical wild life expectancy, the aquarium said. As of November 2025, more than half of the aquarium's African penguin colony had met or exceeded the species' typical wild lifespan of 10 to 15 years, with several birds living into their 30s and the facility's oldest recent resident reaching age 36, according to NPR Illinois.
That aging population prompted the aquarium to open a dedicated geriatric island in March 2025 — a retirement space with flat matted surfaces, low slopes, and continuous video monitoring designed to keep senior penguins away from younger, more aggressive flock members, the aquarium said. The habitat was created after staff realized more than half of the colony had reached senior age. Annual molting season adds another strain: African penguins can double their body weight before shedding feathers, and that weight gain often exacerbates spinal discomfort and alters gait in older birds with underlying joint disease, per the aquarium.
Still Keeping Pace With the Youngsters
Despite nine months of treatment for osteoarthritis, Pip remains spry enough to stay in the main public exhibit alongside younger birds rather than move to the geriatric retirement island, according to WGBH. Aquarium trainers told the station that Pip continues to keep up with penguins as young as 2 and 3 years old in the main enclosure.
A Grimmer Story in the Wild
African penguins, native to the coasts of South Africa and Namibia, are critically endangered, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Wild populations face food depletion linked to overfishing and climate change.
African penguins could face extinction in the wild by 2035 if the decline is not slowed. The New England Aquarium, which has cared for African penguins for decades, has tied its Boston-based veterinary work to that international crisis: in June 2026, the facility expanded its field conservation efforts by sending trainers to South Africa each year through the AZA SAFE program to help rescue abandoned eggs and rehabilitate wild chicks. Trainers bring those overseas experiences back into daily educational presentations for Boston visitors, the aquarium said.
Animal acupuncture is part of care at the New England Aquarium, where Pip's case shows how the treatment is helping one of its oldest residents keep pace with birds a fraction of his age.
