Visitors are asked to secure small objects when near habitats

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is asking guests to be wary while handling small items near animals, after one of their penguins swallowed a coin.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Calgary Zoo said staff noticed something wrong when their 13-year-old Humboldt Penguin named Juanita developed a slightly abnormal gait.

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After scheduling an X-ray, imaging spotted a foreign metal body, prompting action.

“Because penguin stomachs are highly acidic to help them digest whole fish, ingesting anything metallic poses serious risk of leaching, leading to heavy metal toxicity, and even death,” the zoo said. “Our Animal Health team moved swiftly performing an endoscopy while Juanita was under anesthesia at our Animal

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