Elderly penguins receive custom lenses in "world-first" procedure

Three elderly penguins from a Singapore zoo underwent successful cataract surgery and received new custom-made lenses – the first known time the procedure's been done for the animals, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve announced Tuesday. 

Six penguins – three king penguins and three Humboldt penguins – from Jurong Bird Park had the surgery to "enhance their sight and improve their quality of life," which included the removal of cloudy lenses caused by cataracts, the zoo said. Only the three king penguins received the artificial lens – a "world-first," said Dr. Gladys Boo, who performed the surgeries along with a team at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. 

"The success of these surgeries marks a milestone in veterinary medicine," said Boo, a veterinary ophthalmologist. "While intraocular lens implants are common for humans and some domestic mammals, it is likely the first time they have been successfully used on penguins."