Pick up a penguin! Flippered friends pay visit to care home residents

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Derek Johnson

A care home in Oxfordshire has found a novel way to keep their residents entertained.

Richmond Villages in Witney brought in two penguins, Charlie and Groot, to mark Animal Therapy Day and bring a smile to people at the same time.

Managers say that the pandemic and lockdown made life very tough for people here.

Jo Cambrey said: "We thought we needed to do something to bring a smile back to their faces, to give them some fun. I saw that some penguins had gone to visit some residents in a care home and said 'let's see if we can do that'."

The penguins are from Heythrop Zoological Garden and they worked their magic.

One resident said: "It's not the sort of thing that happens very often, so for me it was a surprise! It was lovely to see them."

Another said: "I never expected anything like that! I think it was a brainwave on somebody's part. It think it's a good idea - it's a shame there's not children here."

Charlie and Groot made themselves comfortable on people's laps, and happily wandered about being adored by the residents.

After all, who doesn't want to pick up a penguin?