Why did the penguin in Chile wear a vest? 

This sounds like the beginning of a joke. (A joke that would end, “He was chilly!”) But it’s actually the start of a story about science.  

Penguins living at the zoo in Santiago wear red vests. The little clothes help the birds’ injuries heal faster. The trick? Copper and zinc threading.   

Copper and zinc in the fabric help fight infection. They help new blood vessels grow. Zoo director Ignacio Idalsoaga wondered, “Why can’t this be used on penguins?” 

He’s right that Humboldt penguins—the kind at the zoo—tend to need healing. Of every 10 Humboldt penguins left in the world, eight live in Chile. Researchers think that in the last 35 years, the penguin population size has dropped by more than half.  

The flightless fowl face many threats: Plastic pollution. Injuries from fishing nets. Disease outbreaks. They also have to compete with human fishers for food.  

Here’s another penguin enemy: El Niño. This weather pattern affects parts of the Pacific Ocean. A lack of wind results in unusually warm water. Penguins struggle to find the cold-water fish they rely on for food. Penguin parents may leave their nests behind to find food. This makes it almost impossible for chicks to survive. 

People bring wounded penguins to clinics. The birds have been cut by fishing nets and boat propellers. Others are weak with hunger. 

What do they need? Vests!  

The birds have long necks. This helps when catching fish. It harms when birds pull out their own stitches or peck at their injuries.   

The vests don’t seem to bother the penguins. The wounds get better every day.  

Why? God filled the world with materials He uses for healing—including copper and zinc.