Penguin shows off new shoes at the zoo.
Look out San Diego, a penguin has found his waddle and it's adorable. Lucas, a 4-year-old African penguin who lives at San Diego Zoo, was recently fitted for prosthetics to help him walk properly. If you're surprised to hear that Africa has penguins, yes, it's true and they're just as adorable as the ones from Antartica.
This particular penguin was born with a condition called bumblefoot, which causes ulcers to form on its feet and can result in sepsis and death. Who knew a condition that sounded so cute could be so cruel? Bumblefoot is a chronic condition and can cause the penguin to not be able to walk properly. The condition doesn't just affect penguins, but it does seem to be more prevalent in penguins that live in captivity than those in the wild. Thankfully for Lucas, he's got some new shoes to show his little penguin friends. The permanent tuxedo wearing bird was gifted a pair of custom orthopedic shoes made out of neoprene and rubber, according to the zoo.
Lucas' special shoes were made by Thera-Paw, an organization that designs custom orthotics and products for animals that have special needs. San Diego Zoo vet Dr. Beth Bicknese explained in a press release, “The boots are cushioned and Velcroed in place, so they will help Lucas to fully participate in the colony and showcase behaviors that are more typical for a penguin—such as climbing the rocks, swimming, nesting and finding a suitable mate.”
Photo by Fungai Tichawangana on UnsplashLucas started having problems with his feet after a spinal infection left him unable to stand properly, which put pressure on his ankles and legs and caused sores to form. The little guy got the full spectrum of treatments, including acupuncture, before the zoo turned to prosthetics. Amazingly, immediately after putting his new penguin shoes on, he had an improved posture. Debbie Denton, senior wildlife care specialist at San Diego Zoo, said in the press release, “We were pleasantly surprised at the immediate change in Lucas after we fitted him with his new boots. Seeing him move about now gives us hope that he may be OK going forward, and able to live a full life.”
The zoo, according to its press release, participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. African penguins are currently endangered. The penguins made the endangered species list for a variety of reasons, including climate change and overfishing. But San Diego Zoo is doing its part for penguins like Lucas to allow them to not only survive but to thrive.
Lucas is probably strutting around his enclosure with his new shoes, climbing all of the rocks his heart desires. Maybe one day there will be a children's book about a penguin who had to get new shoes. Whether the story of Lucas turns into a book or not, Thera-paw is clearly making a difference in these animals' quality of life.
Ilaria Borghese, founder and president of Thera-paw, noted in the press release, “Over the years, we’ve tackled challenging cases like Lucas’s, and each is special and memorable. One thing that never gets old is seeing an animal’s life dramatically improve after using one of our aids. It inspires and drives us every day.”
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."