Here’s a reminder why you shouldn’t throw money — particularly dimes — at zoo animals.
The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, announced Picchu the penguin is on the mend after he ate a dime that zookeepers think came from someone who visited his exhibit. Doctors were alerted of the swallowed dime during a routine exam when an X-ray showed the metal object in his stomach.
They managed to extract the dime so it wouldn’t cause further trouble for Picchu.
“Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for objects to be thrown into habitats at the Zoo. In this case, the silver dime closely resembled the shiny appearance of fish, a main part of a penguin’s diet,” the zoo noted.
The statement continued, “Picchu is recovering well and we are so thankful for the ability for perform minimally invasive procedures like this in our own Animal Hospital.”
They closed out their post with a reminder for all to abide by, which is, “Please refrain from throwing objects and food into the animal habitats during your visit.”