When we think of penguins, we tend to think cute and energetic, but as they age, they also experience aches and pains just like we humans do.

That's why the New England Aquarium in Boston has created a first-of-its-kind oasis for its penguin elders.

Special correspondent Jared Bowen of GBAH, Boston, takes us there for our arts and culture series, Canvas.

Thank you for being a friend.

The hit sitcom The Golden Girls opened our eyes to the joys of aging together.

Now the New England Aquarium is doing the same

with its penguin golden girls and boys. This is our geriatric island. We affectionately call it

our assisted living community. This is a new development at the aquarium where for decades,

various penguin species have ruled the roost, or rather these islands, dotting

one of the institution's most popular exhibits.

It's also a place where kids will be kids, says associate curator Eric Fox.

As we look at our older populations, we started to identify that there could be ways that

their life could be easier, but oftentimes it's the

youngsters who might be trying to take over their territory or steal their mate or just cause a

little bit of ruckus. These are African penguins, and in the wild, their average lifespan is

10 years. But here, where care is paramount, many are living into their 30s. And in their senior years, they face

a host of ailments. Beyond just ruffians in the neighborhood, says curator Kristen McMahon.

They'll get cataracts, glaucoma, some spinal conditions sometimes where they don't move quite

as easily as a younger bird, arthritis. Recently, 32-year-old penguin Lambert had both cataract surgery and his left eye removed.

It occurred to the aquarium team that post-surgery,

Lambert might be better suited in a community where life is a bit slower, a bit easier.

Same for his fellow senior citizens who were gradually moved to a retirement home

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