Happy feet.

Sore feet won't slow down the little penguins (Eudyptula minor) that are on display to the public at New Zealand's International Antarctic Centre. In the wild, the birds spend most of their time in the water. But these captive penguins do a lot of waddling on dry land. This can cause their feet to develop painful sores--a condition called bumblefoot.

To stamp out the aching feet, Pauline Howard, a veterinarian who helps at the Centre, removed the exhibit's rough surfaces and sharp rocks. Then she bathed the penguins' feet in a soothing salt solution and rubbed on antibiotic creams. The final step was fashioning the penguins with rubber. soled booties. Wearing the protective footwear, the penguins waddled back to health.