The six comprised three king penguins that are 20 years old and above, and three Humboldt penguins aged seven to 13 years.

The king penguins received custom-made intraocular lens implants, which involved replacing their original lens with an artificial lens in the eye, said Mandai Wildlife Group yesterday day.

It said the procedure is believed to be the first in the world for penguins, adding that the eye operations had helped to enhance the penguins’ sight and improve their quality of life.

King penguins are the world’s second-largest penguin species, after emperor penguins. They can weigh up to 15kg and grow up to almost 1m tall. They can live up to 30 years under human care.

Humboldt penguins can grow to be 71cm and weigh about 4.7kg, and have a reported lifespan of about 20 years under human care.

The penguins are now back with the rest of the colony at Jurong Bird Park before they move to the new Bird Paradise in Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Following the closure of Jurong Bird Park on Jan 3, Bird Paradise is slated to open in the second quarter of 2023.

Animals that reach 70% of their lifespan are placed in the Mandai Wildlife Group’s Senior Animal Care Plan. 

According to thestar.com.my