25、Case report of oral melanoma in a king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) found through the cooperation of a zoo and a museum

 

Kosei　INUI

Naniwa-Hone-Hone-Dan, Osaka Museum of Natural History

collaborator:Miyuki HAMAGICHI　, Satomi YONEZAWA　, Makiko NISHIZAWA　, Takeshi WADA　
（Naniwa-Hone-Hone-Dan, Osaka Museum of Natural History）

Kazutoshi TAKAMI　 （ Osaka Municipal Tennoji Zoological Gardens）

 

An adult male king penguin was kept in Tennoji Zoo for 7 years, and received antibiotic treatment for bumblefoot for 2.5 years. Clinically, this bird showed inappetence, emaciation, and dyspnea that resulted in death. The carcass was moved to Osaka Museum of Natural History (OMNH) to prepare a stuffed specimen. Macroscopically, a black colored cauliflower-like mass was observed at the upper palate. Microscopically, this tumor was diagnosed as melanoma because of the round to spindle tumor cells containing various amounts of melanin pigment. No evidence of metastasis was observed. This is the first case in a king penguin as far as we discovered.
Naniwa Hone-Hone Dan is a voluntary circle to prepare mammalian and bird specimens based in OMNH. More than 250 persons are registered, and the backgrounds and specialties of the members are varied, including office workers, teachers, students, artists, and so on. For over a decade, we have prepared around 2000 mammalian and 1000 bird specimens. In order to enhance not only research work but also educational approaches, it is very important to utilize animal bodies effectively. Our framework for cooperation between zoos/aquariums/museums and citizens reveals an advantageous and rare example around the world.