A penguin believed to be the oldest of her kind in the world has marked her 38th birthday with an ice cake topped with fishy treats.

Spneb, a Humboldt penguin at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Hayle, Cornwall, is said to be the oldest Humboldt penguin on the planet, according to global zoo records.

The sanctuary celebrated the milestone on Thursday, April 16, with a party and a special ice cake loaded with her favourite treats, Cornish sardines and sprats. Her keepers finished the cake with blue food dye and presented it to her in front of fans.

Paradise Park said that despite her age, Spneb “has not lost her sparkle” and remains as inquisitive as ever.

Her keeper Becky Waite said Spneb still has a healthy appetite and enjoys a “nosey peek” out of her nest box, despite being the oldest in the colony.

“She happily supervises the youngsters like a feathery neighbourhood watch,” Waite said.

“Her companion, Prince, is 21 years old and should have been born a peacock, as he loves to show off.”

Spneb was named after the medication that saved her life during a battle with the fungal infection aspergillos in 2007. Her unusual name combines the names of the treatments used at the time.

After four months of treatment, she recovered.

Humboldt penguins are native to the western coast of South America. They have a bare patch on their faces that blushes red to release heat.

The species is now endangered in the wild due to pollution and human activity.

Read more from Talker News.