World’s oldest penguin turns 38, celebrates with ice cake and sardines in cornwall

A Humboldt penguin believed to be the oldest in the world has marked her 38th birthday with an ice cake topped with Cornish sardines and sprats.

Spneb, named after the medication that once saved her life, lives at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Cornwall, UK. Global zoo records list her as the oldest living Humboldt penguin on the planet.

Despite her age, keepers say Spneb “has not lost her sparkle” and remains as inquisitive as ever.The sanctuary celebrated the milestone on April 16th with a party for the birthday girl. Her keepers presented the special ice cake — loaded with her favorite fishy treats — in front of fans, both those with flippers and those without.

Keeper Becky Waite said Spneb still enjoys a healthy appetite and a “nosey peek” out of her nest box, even as the eldest in the colony. Thirty-eight is exceptional for a Humboldt penguin. In the wild, the species typically lives 15-20 years. At Paradise Park, Spneb continues to defy the odds — one fish-topped cake at a time.