A penguin believed to be the oldest in the world has celebrated her 38th birthday with an impressive cake topped with fishy treats. Spneb, who was named after the medication that saved her life, is said to be the oldest Humboldt penguin on the planet. Despite her advanced years, she hasn’t lost her sparkle and is still as inquisitive as ever. Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Cornwall, UK, marked Spneb’s milestone with a party and a special ice cake loaded with her favorite treats like sardines and sprats. Her keepers presented the cake to the birthday girl in front of her fans, both those with flippers and those without. Spneb's keeper, Becky Waite (pictured below), said the penguin still enjoys a healthy appetite and a “nosey peek” out of her nest box, despite being the oldest penguin in the colony. “Her companion, Prince, is 21 years old and should have been born a peacock, as he loves to show off,” said Waite. Though Humboldt penguins are native to the western coast of South America, they stay cool thanks to a bare patch on their faces that blushes red to release heat.
