Updated: 5:38 p.m. January 30, 2009

GEORGIA AQUARIUM

Penguin has emergency surgery to remove egg

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, January 30, 2009

A penguin at the Georgia Aquarium is recovering after last-minute surgery to remove an egg that was threatening its life.

Officials at the world’s largest fish tank said Bat, an African penguin, fell ill earlier this month. An X-ray determined the female was carrying an unfertilized egg.

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Georgia Aquarium

This X-ray shows the egg inside Bat the penguin.

Photos: Bat the penguin has surgery• Georgia Aquarium news, photos and more

Greg Bossart, the head of veterinary medicine, decided to induce labor late Thursday after the animal’s condition worsened. The egg, however, got stuck, and Bossart was forced to use “a 14-gauge needle to puncture the egg.” It was then crushed and extracted.

“Bat is doing much better,” said Dave Santucci, an aquarium spokesman.



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