Current followed –
Emperor penguin Gus gets lost in Australia, 3,400 km away
Some bathers in Australia will probably not forget this moment: Suddenly an emperor penguin from the Antarctic rises out of the water.
Published today at 5:06 am
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BotTalk
An emperor penguin has become a small sensation in Australia: The bird from Antarctica suddenly waddled onto a beach near the town of Denmark in the west of Down Under at the beginning of November – 3,400 kilometers from its home. According to experts, this is a world first: never before has an example of this species, which actually only lives deep in the Southern Ocean region, been seen so far north.
According to eyewitnesses, the bird appeared quite lost. “He tried to slide on his stomach and probably thought it was snow,” ABC broadcaster quoted a resident who was on the beach as saying. “He landed with his face in the sand, got up and shook off all the sand.”
“What is that thing?”
The man was with his family on Ocean Beach around 400 kilometers south of Perth when the rare guest from Antartkis got out of the water. “It was huge, much bigger than other seabirds, and we thought, what is that thing coming out of the water?”
Then “Gus,” as the penguin is now called after Emperor Augustus, waddled directly toward his family. “He was about one meter tall and not shy at all.” Emperor penguins are the largest species in the family of flightless seabirds.
Was Gus following a current?
According to researchers, the penguin probably followed a current north from Antarctica – straight to Australia. When looking for food, the animals tend to follow certain currents in which there is a particularly large supply, Belinda Cannell from the University of Western Australia told the ABC. It is possible that these currents simply have further northerly extensions than usual.
The Western Australia Department of Biodiversity and Species Conservation (DBCA) has now announced that the animal, which initially appeared rather malnourished, was being cared for by a bird keeper and was recovering well. Gus weighs about 23 kilos. Adult males can be up to 1.40 meters tall and weigh 40 kilos.
“The first thing to do with wild animals is to weigh them. “You need to know their weight so you can give them the appropriate fluids and medication,” said bird keeper Carol Biddulph. Gus is cared for in their special penguin enclosure. Not even in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever look after an emperor penguin, Biddulph said. «It’s just unbelievable. It is a privilege to be part of this bird’s journey.”
DPA/chk
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