Edinburgh Zoo’s one-eyed penguin bounces back after second surgery
Posted 20 Jan 2026
A one-eyed Northern rockhopper penguin at Edinburgh Zoo has made a full recovery after a second operation on her eye socket. Vets from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) worked with ophthalmology specialists from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies to treat a serious infection in Poly’s eye socket.
The wildlife conservation charity fitted Poly with a modified recovery suit, which is normally used for cats, to allow fluid to drain while she healed. With the drain removed, she moved back in with the colony at Penguins Rock, just in time to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day.
RZSS vets at the zoo will continue to keep an eye on Poly while gradually reducing her medication.
Notes to Editors
Hi-res video and images available at https://we.tl/t-g98j8BMitn
Video and images are free to use. Please credit RZSS.
Notes to editors:
- Penguin Awareness Day is on Tuesday, 20 January 2026
- Poly hatched in April 2025. Her eye was surgically removed because of a life-threatening infection
- Poly had a CT scan at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies to confirm that the infection was localised and had not spread to her brain or bones. Surgery, led by a Royal Dick ophthalmology vet, was undertaken to clean the socket of infection.
- A cat recovery suit is an alternative to cat neck cones and are intended to protect a wound while allowing freedom of movement. The vet team modified one of these suits to hold the equipment for Poly’s drainage system
- In the wild, Northern rockhopper penguins are found in the Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island group in the South Atlantic Ocean. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, having suffered a population decline of over 90% since the 1950s, attributed to climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species
- RZSS has supported long-term conservation efforts on Tristan da Cunha. Current work by the RZSS WildGenes team involves genetic analysis to assess population connectivity and diversity, aiming to inform and improve future conservation strategies. For more information: https://www.rzss.org.uk/northern-rockhopper-penguin
- Penguins Rock is the Europe's largest outdoor penguin pool, home to Northern rockhopper, gentoo, and king penguins
About the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (rzss.org.uk)
- The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world which protects, values
- Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are gateways to the natural world through which people can experience nature, learn about the challenges facing wildlife and discover how we harness our expertise in conservation science and animal care alongside the unique power of the RZSS family – our teams, supporters and partners – to save animals from extinction
