An emperor penguin has washed up on an Australian beach after traveling more than 3,000 kilometers from its home.
This is reported by CNN with reference to the Australian Department of Biodiversity.
Surprised locals found the penguin on Ocean Beach in the state of Western Australia. This is 3,500 kilometers north of Antarctica, where these birds live.
Surfer Aaron Fowler describes the penguin’s appearance: “It was huge, much bigger than a seabird, and we didn’t realize what it was coming out of the water. It had a protruding tail like a duck. It came out of the waves and swung towards us. He was an emperor penguin, about a meter tall, and he didn’t seem shy at all. He tried to slide on his belly, apparently thinking he had snow in front of him, but he buried his face in the sand and then got up and shook himself off.”
A spokesman for the department said the penguin was in a poor emaciated condition and was under the care of a specialist. The rehabilitation process is expected to last several weeks.
Belinda Cannell, a researcher at the University of Western Australia, said it was the first time an emperor penguin had been seen this far north. She explained that penguins usually follow certain currents where they can easily find food. The scientist assumes that the current the bird was swimming in moved north.
Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest of the 18 penguin species. They can weigh up to 40 kilograms and reach a height of 1.1 meters. In the wild, they live only in Antarctica, using the ice to form colonies and protect themselves from predators. However, due to global climate change, their habitat is gradually disappearing.
