Hopefully he gets well enough to have plans considered to relocate him home. I think DOC are doing a great job, they should monitor without inteference until it is absolutely nescessary which they did this time.

Great Work.

What a load of bollocks! When will humans cease from imposing nanny state strategies on nature? the bird swan here and would have probably died - well life can be tough - if this had happened 300 years ago the locals would have knocked it on the head and had a bbq - now it is rushed to hospital! I have been to Antarctica and the first thing you notice in the penguin colonies are hundreds of dead chicks that didn't make it - why don't we send teams of vets with hot water bottles to mess with nature every breeding season? I really cannot fathom the logic here.

I just think this guy is sherking his responsibilities as a parent, I mean who would blame him after having to stand protecting an egg in the depths of Antartic winters for three months without food! On a serious note I hope he gets better. Doesn't look good though!

Ok, I asked for a penguin for my birthday, and obviously someone posted me one, but once again NZ Post delivered it to the wrong address! The only other explanation I can come up with is that he's actually just a blue penguin that got hooked on the 'roids...

This story made the news (on the radio at least) here in Germany.

Could have lost its way with all the earthquakes in nz

They're naturally curious animals. In their own habitat you can sit quietly and they'll come over and check you out. Maybe it followed a pod of humpbacks, which make the same journey north at this time of year?

They're right for just leaving him alone, the poor creature is probably just resting after weeks at sea, he'll go back in his own time.

If you read the studies that the Dr. Wienecke has done on the traveling habits of juvenile Empies you would note a couple of things. First is a lot of the ones monitored swam due north during their 'first swim', some going up to and past the Antarctic circle. Some also swam a very long way-thousands of miles from the Auster rookery to the Ross Sea and back again. Combine the two and it is not extraordinary for this bird to have swum so far or gone in a northerly direction. The extraordinary thing is he/she did not turn around near the Antarctic circle like the ones in the study did. Given their innate sense of direction and the seemingly good condition of this bird I have little doubt that he/she can make it back home.

Maybe when he gets home he will tell everyone he finally found them all a place where they didn't have to huddle in the freezing dark blizzards every frickin year....