This Adelie penguin, which the locals call Pingu, was found lost and tired on the shore. The penguin, who came from kilometers away, was released in a safe area after health checks completed by experts.
Stating that Adelie penguins have been found from these shores twice before, experts mentioned the necessity of investigating these mysterious travels of penguins.
Pingu was found 3000 kilometers from its natural habitat
A person named Harry Singh encountered a penguin while hiking on Birdlings Flat beach, south of Christchurch city. “I thought it was a toy when I first saw it, but when I moved I realized it was a real penguin,” said Singh, adding that he sought ways to save the penguin because he did not want a predator in the area to harm him. Noticing that the penguin looked quite tired and in an abnormal condition, Harry Singh reached out to Thomas Stracke, who has been rehabilitating penguins on New Zealand’s South Island for nearly 10 years. Stating that he was very surprised when he realized that the penguin found was the Adelie penguin, a species that lives only on the Antarctic peninsula, Stracke said, “Maybe the animal lost its way.” Thomas Stracke, along with a veterinarian, rescued the missing penguin that day. It was observed that the Antarctic Pingu had low blood values during the health checks, and he was hungry and thirsty. Pingu was released on a safe beach in the area after necessary medical attention, along with liquid and nutritional supplements.
Similar events took place in 1962 and 1993, and the Adelie penguin was found off the coast of New Zealand. Although some penguin species live in this region, it is not possible for Antarctic penguins to live. Experts underlined that the emergence of Adelie penguins in this region is alarming. Adelie penguins’ visits to the New Zealand coast may indicate an unnoticed change in the ocean, said Philip Seddon, professor of Zoology at the University of Otaga. He emphasized the necessity of further studies in this area for the entire marine ecosystem.
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