New England Aquarium launches penguin "retirement home"

• Geriatric animal care requires specialized environments to match the physical and behavioral needs of extraordinarily aged wildlife.

By the numbers: 8 penguins already reside in the old folks portion of the aquarium's penguin exhibit.

• Over half the aquarium's colony has met or surpassed the typical wild life expectancy for penguins of about 10-15 years.
• The oldest resident, Good Hope, joined the exhibit Wednesday, along with his mate, 23-year-old St. Croix.
• The exhibit also includes Harlequin and Durban, both 32, and 34-year-old Boulders.

Zoom in: The special island within the exhibit features flat surfaces with specialized mats and more ways for staff to monitor the animals.

• Bonded pairs that are aging together are given special treatment.
• Lambert, a 32-year-old who has cataracts, lives in the retirement community with his mate, 14-year-old Dyer. Lambert gets daily eyedrops.