A lone and malnourished emperor penguin, thousands of miles from its Antarctic home, was spotted waddling ashore earlier this month on a popular southern Australian beach.
DENMARK, Western Australia – A lone and malnourished emperor penguin, thousands of miles from its Antarctic home, was spotted waddling ashore earlier this month on a popular southern Australian beach.
This particular species was the first to be recorded in Western Australia after making the over 2,000-mile swim, according to wildlife officials now caring for the animal.
The bewildered penguin was found on Nov. 1 at Ocean Beach in Denmark. At 51 pounds, he was quite underweight, as healthy male emperor penguins typically weigh over 100 pounds.
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Government wildlife officials said the penguin was removed from the beach to avoid potential threats from dogs, cats, foxes and vehicles.
“Never in my wildest thoughts would I thought I’d ever have an emperor penguin to care for,” said experienced local seabird rehabilitator Carol Biddulph with the country’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. “It’s just amazing. It’s just such a privilege to be part of this bird’s journey.”
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At 51 pounds, he was quite underweight, as healthy male emperor penguins typically weigh over 100 pounds.
(Miles Brotherson/DBCA)
Veterinarians and wildlife experts from the University of Western Australia are also offering their expertise to guide the rehabilitation process, including the possibility of returning it to Antarctica.
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Belinda Cannell, a research fellow at the University of Western Australia, told local media that this was the first sighting of an emperor penguin so far north.
“The tracked ones have never reached this far,” she said.
Cannell added that the farthest north they’ve been recorded is around 50 degrees south latitude, while Ocean Beach is 35 degrees south, significantly farther north.
To help the bird adjust to the unfamiliar climate, wildlife experts have been misting it with chilled water.
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The bewildered penguin was found on Nov. 1 at Ocean Beach in Denmark.
(Miles Brotherson/DBCA)
While the exact cause of the penguin’s epic voyage remains a mystery, strong ocean currents are suspected of having swept it far off course.
“What they tend to do is follow certain currents where they’re going to find lots of different types of food,” Cannell told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “So maybe those currents have just tended to be a little bit farther north towards Australia than they normally would.”