A malnourished emperor penguin has been found in Australia, marking the first recorded appearance of the species more than 2,200 miles from its Antarctic home.
The adult male penguin was discovered on November 1 on a beach in Denmark, a popular tourist town in southwest Australia.
Emperor penguins, the largest of all penguin species, had never before been documented in Australia, confirmed Belinda Cannell from the University of Western Australia.
“We have no idea why he’s made such a long journey,” she said, noting that while emperor penguins have occasionally been spotted in New Zealand, a trip to Australia is unprecedented.
The penguin, standing around one metre tall, weighed only 23kg at the time of his discovery—significantly underweight for a healthy adult male, which typically weighs over 45kg.
Currently, the bird is receiving care from seabird rehabilitator Carol Biddulph, who is keeping him cool by misting him with chilled water to help him adjust to Australia’s warmer climate.
The unusual sighting has been documented by Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
When asked about returning the penguin to his native habitat, the department stated that “options are still being worked through.”
