Beachgoers in Denmark, Australia, were shocked to see a lone emperor penguin waddle out of the ocean last week. This species, the largest penguin in the world, only lives in Antarctica. This is the northernmost specimen ever published.
The penguin, nicknamed Gus, swam 3,400km from his icy home to Western Australia. Aaron Fowler was on the beach when it made landfall and described the scene.
“It was huge, much bigger than a seabird, and we thought, what is that thing coming out of the water?” he told ABC News. “And he had a tail that stuck out like a duck. He stood up in the waves and just waddled right towards us… He was probably about three feet tall, and he wasn’t shy at all.”
To entertain those around him, Gus then tried to belly slide, like penguins do on ice, but ended up with a face full of sand. Unperturbed, he stood up and shook off the sand before continuing his exploration of the beach.
Carol Biddulp, a bird keeper with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions, is now caring for the malnourished migrant. She admits she never expected to care for a lost emperor penguin.
Skinny after a long swim
Gus was so underweight that his bones were visible. Given its poor condition and the crowds that would have arisen if this unique attraction had remained on the beach, Biddulp brought the bird in.
This wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Even in his malnourished state, Gus weighed 23 kilograms. “It was quite a challenge to get him back in the car,” she explained. “We put him in a carrier, a large canvas pet carrier, nice and soft, in the car and at home.”
Why the penguin made the epic journey across the Southern Ocean is a mystery. Researchers believe he may have followed a current to Australia.
“What they usually do is follow certain currents where they will find lots of different types of food,” says Belinda Cannell, a research fellow at the University of Western Australia.
