Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling along Australian beach

MELBOURNE – Only emperor penguin The man known to have swam from Antarctica to Australia was released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore at a popular tourist beach, authorities said Friday.

The adult male was found Nov. 1 in the dunes of Ocean Beach in the town of Denmark in Australia’s temperate southwest, about 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) north of icy waters off the Antarctic coast, the Western Australian state government said. He was released from the Parks and Wildlife Service boat on Wednesday.

The boat traveled several hours from the state’s southernmost city, Albany, before the penguin was released into the Southern Ocean, but the government statement did not specify the distance.

He was cared for by registered wildlife keeper Carol Biddulph, who named him Gus after the first Roman emperor Augustus.

“I didn’t really know if he was going to do it in the beginning because he was so malnourished,” Biddulph said in the video, which was recorded before the bird was released but released by the government on Friday.

“I’m going to miss Gus. “It’s been an incredible few weeks, something I won’t miss,” he added.

Biddulph said when he looked at other solitary penguin species, he discovered that mirrors were an important part of their rehabilitation, providing a comforting sense of companionship.

“She absolutely loves her big mirror and I think it’s very important for her health. “They are social birds and stay near the mirror most of the time,” he said.

During her care, Gus gained weight, from 21.3 kilograms (47 pounds) when he was found to 24.7 kilograms (54 pounds). He stands 1 meter (39 inches) tall. a healthy man emperor penguin It can weigh more than 45 kilograms (100 pounds).

University of Western Australia research fellow Belinda Cannell said the largest penguin species had never been reported in Australia before, but some had reached New Zealand, almost all of which were further south than Western Australia.

As summer approaches in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s a critical time to return Gus to the ocean where he can regulate the temperature, the government said.

Emperor penguins have been known to travel up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) on foraging journeys lasting up to a month, the government said.