More on the penguins injured Tuesday when the truck carrying them to Galveston overturned on an East Texas highway: According to reports, the 21 penguins that survived the crash are a little the worse for wear, but are generally doing very well. One of the birds suffered a broken wing and three others had sutures to close lacerations; as for the rest, they're resting up from the trip and are expected to be just fine.
"Nobody has gotten worse," [Moody Gardens Animal Husbandry Manager Greg] Whittaker said. "Their behavior overall seems to be a little bit lethargic, but that's probably based on the length of the transport."The penguins are being isolated from Moody Gardens' other 94 penguins for at least 30 days in an off-exhibit area with a 16-by-16-foot pool that is 3 feet deep, Whittaker said.
The penguins are staying at Moody Gardens while their habitat at the Indianapolis Zoo is renovated. Four birds in the shipment were killed in the wreck early Tuesday morning, which happened just north of Marshall when the driver of the truck accidentally ran off the road, then overcorrected and ended up flipping the truck into a ditch alongside Highway 59. Whittaker said the penguin with the broken wing will have X-rays taken this morning to determine treatment: Its wing could be healed using a splint or a surgically implanted pin.
Once the birds are healthy enough to be taken out of quarantine, they'll be on display with Moody Gardens' other penguins until next spring.
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