Residents of Cumnor Hill House, an all-inclusive luxury care home in Oxford, were thrilled when they received a visit from two special animals.

Groot and Widget two Humboldt penguins from Heythrop Zoological Gardens visited the Berkley Care Group home on April 16.

Residents were overjoyed by the chance to meet the South American penguins.

Seated residents took turns having the penguins on their laps, leading to numerous heartwarming moments.

The penguins' visit was made comfortable with a plentiful fish feeding schedule that kept their visit to one hour.

Oxford Mail: The special visit lasted one hour

The well-versed penguins in making community visits created memorable experiences for the staff and residents, demonstrating joyous interactions with those who don’t usually participate in activities.

Sherrie Hume, Cumnor Hill House’s general manager said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have brought such a unique and joyous experience to our residents.

"It was truly heartening to see the smiles and hear the laughter following Groot and Widget’s visit yesterday afternoon.

"The Humboldt penguin couple posed for photos with colleagues and patients, encouraging residents who don’t usually participate in activities to come and socialise."

Ms Hume also said: "We certainly enjoyed being entertained by them today and have created some lasting memories.

"We also learnt the meaning of the phrase 'never stand behind someone carrying a penguin!'

"We’re already looking forward to planning more memorable experiences like this in the future."