Patients at California children's hospital thrilled by cuddly kangaroo and other animal visitors

Record ID: 1822853

  • Title: Patients at California children's hospital thrilled by cuddly kangaroo and other animal visitors
  • Date: 31st May 2024
  • Summary: SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MAY 30, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ZACHARY LANGUM, A 15-YEAR-OLD PATIENT AT SUTTER CHILDREN'S CENTER AT SUTTER MEDICAL CENTER IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, PETTING A KANGAROO NAMED PENELOPE VARIOUS OF PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL PATIENT AT SUTTER CHILDREN'S CENTER INTERACTING WITH A TORTOISE VARIOUS OF MIKE DUNN, EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION DEPART
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2024 20:00
  • Keywords: SACRAMENTO SEAWORLD SUTTER CHILDRENS CENTER
  • Location: SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Health/Medicine,North America
  • Reuters ID: LVA001719531052024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Patients at Sutter Children's Center at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, California enjoyed time some exotic visitors from SeaWorld on Thursday (May 30, 2024).
    Penelope, a baby kangaroo, joined Spike, an alligator rescued from a Southern California drug den in 1994, on SeaWorld's annual mission to bring some of its 40,000-plus rescued animals to brighten the days of ambulatory and bed-ridden young patients. Other visitors included a Burmese python, a hedgehog, a screech owl and a two-toed sloth.
    Mike Dunn, Education and Conservation Department Manager at SeaWorld, said the smiles the animals bring out are unbelievable.
    "It's awesome," Dunn said about the event. "They’re here at Sutter, they’re facing some challenges, their families are facing some challenges, we come in, we brighten their day, we brighten the staff’s day, and they learn a little bit too."
    Delilah McFall, a 14-year-old from Roseville, California, living with acute lymphocytic leukemia, also took to Penelope and fed her a leaf of lettuce when handlers brought the kangaroo to her wing on the third floor of the hospital.
    "I like the animals and I like feeding them," McFall said.
    (Production: Dylan Bouscher)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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