* Publication Date：06/17/2009
* Source： Liberty Times
The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium used X-ray technology to perform the annual penguin health check in 2008. But in 2009, the Hengchun police force is stepping up with a metal detector to determine whether the penguins have swallowed any metal objects. On June 15, the police came to the museum and, with the assistance of museum staff, did the first ever “body search” on penguins. The penguins acted like they were taking drugs at an Ecstasy party when each was seized and tested.
Chieh Hsian-chiang, a veterinarian the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology emphasized that metal detectors have been used in clinical practice to determine whether cows have swallowed metal objects. However, in the case of more delicate animals like penguins, says Chieh, it is better to use X-rays to achieve better accuracy.
Vets around the Kaohsiung area say that the sensitivity of the police metal detectors may make it difficult to detect objects in deep areas of the birds' bodies. However, X-rays allow visualization of the metal and also allows the vet to see whether the birds have consumed any plastic or other foreign bodies that would not be visible with a metal detector.
Museum staff were privately critical as well, saying that the institution has been doing poorly over the last few years, and its operator, the Hi-Sence World Enterprise Co., has “simply gone a bit too far” in trying to save money in this case. Company general manager He Shao-kuang and Chang Chin-hua, who is in charge of the aquarium's penguins, say that after penguins are shipped to Taiwan by air, they are inside the museum grounds for a long period of time, and they probably will not have swallowed any foreign objects. In 2008, even with the use of professional X-ray equipment, no foreign objects were found. Since the penguins must be anesthetized prior to being X-rayed, the process is a bit costly, so the Hi-Sense World decided to try to borrow a metal detector from the local police instead to do the check up in 2009. The deputy of the Hengchun Police District Huang Jung-shan, says that he helped the company get permission from the Pingtung County Poilice Bureau. Because the company would use the device for an hour or two without affecting regular police work, permission was granted.
Sixty-one penguins had been examined by June 16, and no metal objects were found in any of them. At the same time, blood samples were drawn, birds were weighed, and other examinations were performed.
Source:
http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=52913&ctNode=413
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