Penguins grant pensioners their Christmas wish with care home visit

Humboldt Penguins Pringle and Two Dots brought residents at Coombe End Court Care Home close to tears.

Christmas came early for elderly care home residents who enjoyed the rare chance to cuddle some penguins from their living room this week.

Humboldt Penguins Pringle, nine, and Two Dots, 15, paid a visit to Coombe End Court in Wiltshire, bringing those living there close to tears.

The penguins, which belong to a species that prefers a warmer climate, were hand-reared at Heythrop Zoo in Chipping Norton, Oxon.

The therapy animals are no strangers to company and made themselves right at home by waddling around the lounge area and sitting calmly on residents’ laps.

One resident, Doreen, said she felt ‘quite emotional’ after getting the chance to stroke the birds.

She said: ‘I thought that was just lovely. It’s something I never thought would happen to me.’

And another, named Richard, added: ‘They were lovely. I feel very lucky to have seen them. It was a great experience.’

The penguins are part of a breeding colony at a private zoo, and are trained to take part in range of educational and promotional visits to care homes, charities and schools.

In October, a trio of birds from the colony travelled to a care home in Lincoln with to fulfil 99-year-old Joyce Gardner’s ‘lifelong wish’ to meet a penguin.

It came after they visited a care home in Windsor in February on the request of residents who said they had always wanted to meet the exotic birds.

Pringle, the most famous penguin in the colony, also made it to the screen, appearing alongside Matt Smith, playing Prince Phillip in an episode of The Crown on Netflix in 2017.

Animal trainer Barbara Marquez, from Heythrop Zoo, said: ‘Animals can bring such joy, especially to the young and old.

‘Penguins in particular can bring a lot of happiness to people, which you could definitely see today.’

Coombe End Court staged a bingo and raffle in the summer to pay for the penguins to visit as a Christmas treat.

The home, operated by The Orders of St John Care Trust, has previously organised for residents to be visited by monkeys, donkeys, llamas and snakes.

Home Bursar Sarah Meenan said: ‘Our residents do love any visits from animals, but they have been particularly excited to meet penguins.

‘It was fantastic to see the looks on their faces as the penguins walked in and then wandered around right in front of them.

‘It was a very special experience that we’ll all be talking about for some time’.