Penguin Munch looking good thanks to surgery

The future is much brighter for Munch the penguin thanks to the team at Eye Vet Referrals in Cheshire.

Four-year-old Munch, a South American Humboldt penguin at Chester Zoo, was struggling to catch fish and feed himself because his vision was so poor.

Eye Vet clinical director Iona Mathieson, an advanced practitioner in veterinary ophthalmology, took charge of his treatment, performing a successful cataract surgery, and is delighted with the outcome.

‘Extra special case’

Dr Mathieson said: “We go to Chester Zoo periodically to help with ocular cases, but this was an extra special case for me because I love penguins.

“I’ve been in the veterinary field for almost 24 years and Munch is the first penguin I’ve operated on. We’re really happy the surgery was successful and he is now on the way to making a full recovery.

“Munch had been struggling to cope as he had cataracts in both eyes and his eyesight was so poor the only solution was to operate.”

Surgery

Once general anaesthetic and muscle-relaxing drugs were administered, Dr Mathieson said: “We made an incision into the cornea at the front of the eye and injected a gel into it to stop the eye from collapsing.

“Then we made another cut in front of the lens, and inserted a needle that delivers ultrasound waves to break up the cataracts and improve his vision.

“The process is called phacoemulsification and works very well. Normally, we would go on to fit an artificial lens, too, but there isn’t one small enough for a penguin and we know that penguins cope well without having an artificial lens replacement.”

Munch and life-long partner Wurly were separated from the rest of the colony for a few weeks, and kept from deep water until his eyes recovered.