Pierre the penguin happy with wet suit

 

Julian Guthrie

Saturday, March 8, 2014

• 
  Pierre the African penguin relaxes outside of his burrow at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. At the age of 31, Pierre is the elder statesman of the Academy's penguin colony.
  Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle |

He was pushed away by friends and ostracized for being different. He started to feel insecure, and was losing interest in the things he loved most: herring and Homey.

Over a period of three years, starting in 2005, a penguin named Pierre either failed to molt, as penguins do once a year, or he molted and remained inexplicably bald - making him penguin non grata in his colony at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

To the rescue came a biologist named Pam Schaller, who fashioned a pint-size wet suit with flipper holes and Velcro up the back. The wardrobe change, made in early 2008, soon got Pierre eating and swimming again. A new set of feathers appeared, and relations were mended with his female partner, Homey.

These days, the African penguin has plenty of feathers in his cap, with even a children's book written about him. Having turned 31 on Feb. 16, he's the oldest penguin in the colony of 15, has an impressive nest that he shares with Homey, and a strut that speaks of seniority. His beak is a little longer than that of his penguin peers, his waddle a little slower, and his cataracts are returning. But Pierre, is - by all accounts - a happy bird.

And a prolific one: Pierre has produced 16 chicks over the years, and has 26 grandchicks and four great-grandchicks. His offspring are in aquariums around the world, from Idaho to Hawaii, Minnesota to New Mexico to Japan. "As long as he has Homey and their nest, he's a pretty chill penguin," said Brenda Melton, the curator for the aquarium. Homey is 22, and the two Spheniscus demersus have been "pretty monogamous" for eight years, Melton said.

Pierre, Homey's home

Their nest is on the upper left side of the exhibit, and Pierre, who weighs about 6 1/2 pounds and stands 2 feet tall, has a blue band on his right wing. Homey has a blue band on her left wing. Their nest is made up of thick felt strips of the kind used in drive-through car washes. "Pierre is the oldest, so he has some respect, he has his place," said Melton. "Nobody gives him any trouble."

Pierre encountered problems only after he'd molted and stayed bald. "Penguins typically do a 'catastrophic molt' and lose all of their feathers at one time and then grow them all back at one time," Melton explained. "They molt because feathers get worn throughout the year, and get faded. You can see the difference. The salt water and air degrade waterproofability. Everything depends on waterproofing."

Melton said that Pierre's featherless state drew unwanted attention. "It made him look different," Melton said. "The bird that stands out is drawing attention, which isn't good. You don't want to draw attention to yourself when you are potentially prey. So we think the other penguins thought he looked funny and wanted him out. When animals get sick, they will actually be pushed out, so as not to draw attention to the group. Pierre became a liability."

The other penguins began to bray at Pierre, who began to spend more and more time shivering on shore.

Until, that is, Schaller landed on the wet suit idea. Schaller was out in the rain with her dog one day, and the dog was wearing a raincoat. Schaller returned to work and began collaborating on a neoprene suit for Pierre. The wet suit originally had a zipper up the back, which was changed to Velcro. A tag that proved bothersome was removed. He went through several fittings until the custom suit was just right. "The whole process wasn't that long," Melton said. "Once he started wearing it, he started getting warmer and producing energy to regrow the feathers. It took all of a couple of months. He was the first penguin to wear a wet suit, but since then, other institutions have used the idea."

Birthday serenade

For his 30th birthday, the Academy of Sciences threw a big bash, inviting members of the San Francisco Girls Chorus to serenade him, and fashioning a large cake out of herring. His 31st birthday was low key by comparison. Pierre and Homey busied themselves adding to their nest and feasting on fish.

Not far away from the aquarium, where feedings take place at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., was the children's book "Pierre the Penguin: A True Story." And on display in the gift shop is Pierre's neoprene suit - no longer needed.

To see Pierre the African penguin in his wet suit: http://bit.ly/1oxLY29.

  A book was written about Pierre and his plight. It's sold at the academy gift shop. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle |

  Lauren Blackshear and her 2-year-old son Cooper visit the African penguin exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. Among the residents of the Academy's penguin colony is 31-year-old Pierre, who became famous for wearing a neoprene wetsuit to help his feathers grow back after molting season. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle |

  Pierre the African penguin (right) relaxes with his mate Homey (left) outside of their burrow at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. At the age of 31, Pierre is the elder statesman of the Academy's penguin colony. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle |

  Lauren Blackshear and 2-year-old son Cooper visit the African penguins at the Academy of Sciences. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle |

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