There's something p-p-peculiar about him: Rare white penguin spotted in Antarctica

By Daniel Miller


This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica

This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica.

The unusual bird was photographed by naturalist David Stephens during a nature expedition to the Aitcho Islands.

Chinstrap penguins' normal black-and-white colouring provides them with camouflage while they dive for fish.


All white: The penguin was spotted during a nature expedition to Antarctica

Rare: The condition known as leucism only occurs in around 1 in 146,000 penguins

The condition which causes the whiteness is known as leucism. It differs from albinism which is a total lack of skin pigment.

Mr Stephen, who works aboard Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Explorer ship, wrote in the daily expedition report: 'At the water’s edge stood a leucistic Chinstrap.

'This bird was whitish, but not quite an albino. Instead, it had pigmented eyes and a washed-out version of a Chinstrap’s normal pattern.

'Many wondered about this unusual bird’s chances of success. While odd coloration may make fishing a bit more difficult, leucistic birds are regularly found breeding normally.'


Blending in: Chinstrap penguins' black and white colouring camouflages them when they dive for fish

The unusual bird was photographed by naturalist David Stephen who works aboard Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Explorer ship

Dyan deNapoli, a penguin expert and author of 'The Great Penguin Rescue, said the rate of leucism in Chinstrap penguins is about 1 in 146,000.

He added: 'It is a fairly rare phenomenon. When I was in Antarctica, I never saw one, and I saw a lot of penguins.'

Lindblad Expeditions is a travel company which works in partnership with National Geographic, providing trips to both poles.

Spokeswoman Patty Disken-Cahill said: 'Expedition photography is a big component of our expeditions.

'The photography that comes out of our ships is pretty spectacular.'


source:dailymail

So desperate for the seal of approval! The fame-hungry extrovert who got in the way of the preening penguins

By Daily Mail Reporter


Say fish: An elephant seal pops up next to the king penguins on South Georgia island in the Falklands

This cheeky chap is clearly desperate to get the SEAL of approval after popping up and posing for pictures.

The extrovert elephant seal shocked onlookers by springing into action while photographers tried to capture a group of royal penguins at Saint Andrew's Bay in South Georgia near The Falklands.

The fame-hungry seal surprised the excited crowd by suddenly appearing from behind a dune before disappearing and re-appearing several times in an apparent bid to dominate the photo shoot.


Me again: The seal posed 15 times for photographers who were trying to take pictures of the penguins
French photographer, Michel Watson, captured the entire comic episode on camera while cruising through Antarctica with his wife and several other photographers.

Mr Watson, 64, from Alsace said: 'I was about to take a picture of the penguins when suddenly from the other side of the dune appeared a young elephant seal.

'It stood for about six seconds just staring at us before going back down and disappearing.

'A few seconds later he was standing again and he did this at least 15 times. The whole thing was very bizarre and lasted a good five minutes.

'Soon everyone was trying to get the timing right to get good pictures of the seal rather than the penguins.'

'Each time he looked more and more surprised to see us there because I don't think he was used to seeing humans.'

The elephant seal was around two metres tall and can weigh more than 6,600 pounds.
'We were only a couple of metres away but I wasn't scared, it was such a funny

moment,' said Mr Watson.


source:dailymail

I'm glad someone picked me up: Penguin gets his feathers cleaned but New Zealand's worst-ever environmental disaster deepens and ship's captain is arr

-53 birds found dead and 17 getting emergency treatment to remove oil from their feathers
-Captain of the ship is arrested and faces maritime charges
-At least 390 tons of heavy fuel oil have spilled from the hull
-Weather concerns have meant that efforts to extract the oil have been abandoned

By Jessica Satherley


I'm all white: One of the rescued oil-coated penguins recuperates at a wildlife centre in Tauranga but the situation is worsening as bad weather off the New Zealand coast batters the stricken tanker Rena


This penguin is lucky enough to be able to see his white feathers again after being caught in the slick of New Zealand's worst-ever environmental disaster but many more will not be so fortunate as the crisis deepens.

This bird was cleaned up at the wildlife centre in Tauranga where up to 350 more tonnes of oil has been spilled from the 'Rena' tanker, which lies stricken off the coast.

But clumps of heavy oil from the Liberia-flagged Rena have washed up on pristine beaches near Tauranga in the North Island, and environmental officials said 53 birds were found dead and 17 were getting emergency treatment to remove oil from their feathers.

Before and after: Left, the rescued penguin gets a thorough scrubbing after being plucked from the oily waters, and right, he shows off his two-tone feathers once again

'This event has come to a scale where it is New Zealand's most significant environmental maritime disaster,' Environment Minister Nick Smith told reporters in Tauranga, adding that the clean-up would take weeks.

However, the situation is worsening. Rough weather battered the cargo ship throughout Tuesday before about 70 containers fell overboard, forcing the ship onto a steeper lean.

And in another development, the captain of the ship Rena was arrested and will appear in court Wednesday morning, facing charges under New Zealand's Maritime Act.

Stricken: This Liberian-flagged shipping boat ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef near New Zealand's Tauranga Harbour last Wednesday

Worsening situation: Rough weather battered the cargo ship throughout yesterday, causing about 70 containers to fall overboard, forcing the ship onto a steeper lean

Rough conditions: Heavy seas and misty weather surround the cargo ship Rena that is stuck on the Astrolabe Reef, about 14miles from Tauranga

The ship has been sinking since it ran aground last Wednesday on the Astrolabe Reef, about 14 miles from Tauranga Harbour, and the New Zealand government has demanded to know why the ship crashed into the well-charted reef in calm weather.

The ship owner has given no reason for the grounding, but says it is cooperating with authorities.

Rough weather in recent days has kept salvage crews away.

On Monday night, the 775ft (236metre) ship shifted significantly, spilling hundreds of tons of oil from an unidentified rupture in the hull, said Nick Bohm, a spokesman for Maritime New Zealand which is managing the emergency response.

Pollution: A man walks past fuel oil that washed up on beaches at Papamoa, near Tauranga

Clean-up: Volunteers take an oiled little blue penguin out of the pool after the recovering session at the wildlife facility in Tauranga

Up to 390tons (350 metric tons) of heavy fuel oil spilled from the hull on Tuesday, a rate about five times worse than during the initial days of the spill, Smith said.

Bohm said a salvage crew had to be removed from the ship late on Tuesday morning because ocean swells of 7-to-10ft (2-to-3metres) made conditions too dangerous.

The swells were expected to increase as high as 16ft (5metres), he said.

Without the salvage crew aboard, oil cannot be pumped out of the ship.

'We're on standby at the moment and we'll see what's happening with the ship and they'll be redeployed as quickly as possible,' Bohm said of the salvage crew.

Environmental protectors: A crew disposes of oil washed ashore from the stricken ship

Difficult work: Conservation officials remove dead seabirds coated in thick oil

Volunteers help the clean-up operation. Plans to extract the oil from the vessel itself have been abandoned for the time being as the weather is expected to be terrible

'We're not saying it's going to break up yet; we're not convinced,' he added, referring to the ship.

Divers are scheduled to inspect damage to the hull on Wednesday, Bohm said.

Maritime New Zealand said in a statement that a beach clean-up began early Tuesday and that more teams would be deployed on Wednesday when oil is expected to reach the shore in greater quantities.

'A significant amount of oil is expected to come ashore in the next days,' the statement said.

Rescue teams were also searching the shore for more wildlife affected by the oil.

Marine crews began an operation on Sunday to extract up to 1,900 tons (1,700 metric tons) of heavy fuel oil from the stricken ship - the equivalent of about 10,700 barrels.

But they had to halt the pumping Monday after managing to remove just 11 tons (10 metric tons).

In a statement, the owners of the ship, Greece-based Costamare said they were 'cooperating fully with local authorities' and were making every effort to 'control and minimise the environmental consequences of this incident'.

The company did not offer any explanation for the grounding.
Globules of thick, black oil washed up on the beach showed yesterday that it's a race against time in order to save New Zealand's stunning coastline.

Fist-sized clumps of oil were found at Mount Maunganui beach, a favourite spot for surfers, according to Maritime New Zealand, the agency responsible for shipping in the region.

The beach is about 100miles south-east of Auckland.

Because Rena a cargo ship rather than an oil tanker, any spill would be small in comparison to disasters like the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, which dumped an estimated 262,000 barrels of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound.

But because the ship is close to shore, the oil could still foul delicate estuaries in an area known for its pristine environment.

The operation is expected to last at least two more days once it resumes.

A shag covered in oil is helped by wildlife veterinarian Dr Brett Gartrell and Aimee Forster at the wildlife rehabilitation facility in Tauranga, New Zealand


Devastation to wildlife: Environmental officials said 53 birds were found dead and 17 were getting emergency treatment to remove oil from their feathers

About 200 people are working on the operation, and New Zealand's defence force has about 300 people standing by in case major beach clean-ups are needed.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visited the area on Monday and demanded answers.

'This is a ship that's ploughed into a well documented reef in calm waters in the middle of the night at 17 knots, so somebody needs to tell us why that's happened,' he said.

The Rena was built in 1990 and was carrying 1,351 containers of goods when it ran aground, according to the owners.

In addition to the oil, authorities are also concerned about some potentially dangerous goods aboard, including four containers of ferro-silicon.

Authorities said they would make it a priority to remove those goods as part of their operation.


source:dailymail

Did someone say they'd lost a penguin? 200,000 young birds search for their hungry chicks

By Jessica Satherley


Most parents will know the problem. Your back is turned for two seconds and your little one has disappeared into the crowd.

Well just be thankful it’s not a crowd like this.

This sea of black, white and brown is created by 200,000 king penguins searching for their hungry chicks on the South Atlantic island of South Georgia.

Each year, the king penguin colony at Salisbury Plains, South Georgia, produces an astonishing 50,000 chicks - a number which is on the rise

And, incredibly given the apparent chaos, the young birds hardly ever get lost – thanks to each having a unique begging call.

The scene was captured by German photographer Michael Poliza after the penguins had returned en masse to their home colony for a new breeding season.

King penguins are 3ft tall and weigh up to 33lbs. They lay just one egg each year and the fluffy brown chicks take 11 months to become self-sufficient, so it’s fortunate for them that their parents can p-p-p-pick them out.

Each year, the king penguin colony at Salisbury Plains, South Georgia, produces an astonishing 50,000 chicks - a number which is on the rise.

And Mr Poliza, from Hamburg, Germany, was left speechless when he was met by the noise, smell and breathtaking sight of the enormous colony.

This sea of black, white and brown is created by 200,000 king penguins searching for their hungry chicks on the South Atlantic island

He said: "Nothing can prepare you for opening your eyes and seeing hundreds of thousands of penguins right in front of you for as far as you can see.

"It was beautiful looking out across a sea of such vibrant colour - I felt a bit like an opera conductor amidst a one-of-a-kind concert of cries from thousands of hungry chicks.

"The view was even more stunning as it was framed by a truly breathtaking backdrop of mountains and glaciers.

"The chick is a true 'homebody' in every sense of the word. They need about eleven months to become self-sufficient so it's a good job they have such a unique cry.

"King penguins can recognise each other's call and can find their mate and their chick among the 200,000 birds in the colony."

Each October king penguins across the subpolar Antarctic regions return to their home colonies to breed and lay just one precious egg.

Dedicated Michael, who has a new exhibition opening in Germany at the end of October, had to travel to the Antarctic Peninsula on a cruise ship to capture the striking shots.

It looks like they're playing Wheres Wally: The chaotic scenes make it look impossible for the adult penguins to find their young, but because of their unique begging call amazingly they never get lost


Photographer Michael Poliza, who has a new exhibition opening in Germany at the end of October, had to travel to the Antarctic Peninsula on a cruise ship to capture the striking shots

He would wake up at 4am and go straight from his cabin to the upper deck, where a crane lifted him and a rubber dinghy overboard and lowered them into the icy water.

He added: "Part of the courtship ritual of king penguins is an erect posture where both sexes make themselves as tall as possible to impress their potential mate.

"During the October courtship period, males parade the females with loud calls, an erect posture and a courtship walk - being the tallest certainly impresses the females.

"It seems like a chaotic mixture of adults and their chicks, and king penguins look quite comical, but they know exactly what they are doing.

"On land, penguins are very curious as there have been no land predators in Antarctica so I was able to get up close to them.

"I would love to go back again as it was a truly fantastic experience."



source:dailymail

Happily feather after: The hairless baby penguin rejected by its parents who grew a new coat

By NICK ENOCH

'Left on the icy ground to die': Born without feathers and rejected by his parents, this baby penguin faced a bleak future

This dejected little chap didn't have a lot going for him.

Born without feathers and rejected by his parents, his chances of survival looked grim.

But now, thanks to the efforts of keepers at an aquarium in China's Liaoning Province, the five-day-old has been reunited with his family.


Workers at the aquarium decided that the baby penguin's lack of hair and weak condition was due to difficulties digesting food and absorbing nutrition

The little penguin was born last month - and was instantly ill-treated by its parents.

One of the zookeepers said: 'Its parents kicked it out from time to time, or even left it on the icy ground to let it die.'

Workers at the aquarium decided that the baby penguin's lack of hair and weak condition was due to difficulties digesting food and absorbing nutrition.


Thanks to the efforts of keepers at an aquarium in China's Liaoning Province, the five-day old has been reunited with his family - and grown a new coat

Spokeswoman Wang Dan said: 'In the beginning, we tried to send it back to its parents, hoping they would still take care of it and help it grow stronger.

'But they neglected it and even kicked it out.

'It was then that we decided to feed it by ourselves.'

he aquarium set up a penguin group to care for the youngster around the clock.
After a month of hand-feeding, the little penguin was much stronger.

And, much to the delight of keepers, it even grew hair.
It was then successfully re-introduced to its family group.


source: dailymail

Has Happy Feet, the world's unluckiest penguin, been eaten just two weeks after returning to wild?

GPS transmitter stops sending signal about half-way through journey to Southern Ocean


By Richard Shears


Far from home: Happy Feet washed up on Peka Peka Beach in New Zealand - 3,000 miles north of its native Antarctica


There are fears that Happy Feet, the most famous but possibly the most unlucky penguin in the world, may have ended up as a predator's lunch.

The wandering emperor penguin, who was nursed back to health after being found hundreds of miles from home on a New Zealand beach, was released back into the ocean last week.

But a GPS transmitter attached to him, so that his progress could be tracked back into Antarctic waters, stopped working last Friday - about half way to his destination in the Southern Ocean.

Experts said that while it is possible the device fell off and is sitting at the bottom of the ocean while Happy Feet continues safely on his journey, they fear he could also have met his fate in the jaws of a larger creature.


Emperor penguins have a number of predators including sharks, seals and killer whales.

In an early statement, Sirtrack, the company that attached the transmitter, told the New Zealand Herald that the lack of signal 'leads to the conclusion that either the satellite transmitter has detached or an unknown event has prevented Happy Feet from resurfacing'.

A spokesman for the company said there was 'a chance' the juvenile penguin had been eaten, adding: 'That's what makes the world go round.'

But as animal lovers expressed their horror that Happy Feet had been attacked and eaten, Sirtrack put out a new statement.

Mr Kevin Lay, speaking for the company, said that the transmitter appeared to be in good working order up to the time it stopped sending data and the most likely explanation for the silence is that it had fallen off.

The transmitter, he said, had been only glued on so that it would fall off in time.

'We hoped it would stay on for five or six months, but it appears in this case it's only stayed on for two weeks.'


Life-saving: A team of medics operate on Happy Feet after he became sick after eating sand he mistook for snow. He underwent four operations in all


Mr Lay added that it was possible the penguin had been eaten, but he was doubtful.

'There are some species that will forage on emperor penguins but it's not likely that it has happened to Happy Feet because of the area he was in,' he told New Zealand's ONE News.

'We firmly believe that the transmitter has become detached.'

He said another possibility was that Happy Feet was underwater when the satellites that picked up the GPS signals were overhead.

'Maybe he's just spending a lot of time under water because he's found a good source of food,' said Mr Lay.


F-f-f-f-Freezing: Happy Feet prepares to go back into the sea for the first time in two months


Gone: Happy Feet disappears for good, but his GPs tracker has now stopped giving off a signal


Vets at the Wellington Zoo and experts who have been tracking the penguin's progress all agreed that the next few days were critical.

'Hopefully, we'll all be pleasantly surprised,' said one official.

Happy Feet was named after the 2006 animated feature about a tap-dancing emperor chick.

He underwent four surgeries at Wellington Zoo to remove sticks and stones from his stomach and then spent two months in rehabilitation before being released into the ocean, well short of his habitat.

An international treaty prevents authorities from returning the penguin directly to Antarctica, so he was released in an area where other juvenile emperor penguins like himself are at play at this time of the year.

Vet Lisa Argilla, who looked after Happy Feet at Wellington Zoo, said she was pleased when he had been released back into the Southern Ocean.

She said: 'He slid down his specially-designed penguin slide backwards, but once he hit the water he spared no time in diving off away from the boat and all those "aliens" who have been looking after him for so long.'

When Happy Feet had finally been given a clean bill of health, he was placed in a specially-designed crate filled with ice and loaded onto the research vessel Tangaroa.

Sea conditions were too rough for Happy Feet to be released by hand, so he was placed on a tarpaulin slide running from the boat's ramp.

'He needed some gentle encouragement to leave his crate, but then the release went really well,' said Miss Argilla.

A team from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the boat crew were all on deck to wave him goodbye.

'It's an indescribable feeling to see a patient finally set free,' said Miss Argilla.

Voyage leader Richard O'Driscoll told Wellington's The Press newspaper that apart from giving the veterinary team a few nips at feeding time, the penguin had been a well-behaved passenger.




source:dailymail

P-p-p-push a penguin: Lost Happy Feet needs a helping hand as he returns home after life saving surgery

By Richard Shears


A lost emperor penguin named Happy Feet who turned up on a beach in New Zealand has been taken home after under-going life-saving surgery.

The 3ft bird, who was left desperately ill after eating sand that he thought was snow, was taken back to the Antarctic on a research ship.

He was released down a slide into the water two months after he was discovered disorientated more than 1,000 miles from home.

Now scroll down for video

More familiar environment: Happy Feet is released in Antarctica from his big blue crate was four people try and encourage him to go down a specially-made slide and into the water

Back home: Happy Feet prepares to be sent back into the sea two months after he was discovered in New Zealand


But although he has been released, the penguin has been fitted with a tracking device so web users can keep track of where he goes over the next few months.

Vet Lisa Argilla, who looked after Happy Feet at Wellington Zoo, said she was pleased that he had been released back into the Southern Ocean.

She said: 'He slid down his specially-designed penguin slide backwards, but once he hit the water he spared no time in diving off away from the boat and all those "aliens" who have been looking after him for so long.'

F-f-f-f-Freezing: Happy Feet, who was found on a beach, prepares to go back into the sea for the first time in two months

In he goes: The three foot tall emperor penguin slowly moves towards the water in Antarctica

Gone: Happy Feet disappears for good. Web users will be able to track his progress online as he has been fitted with a GPS tracker


Happy Feet, named after the 2006 film, was taken to the zoo after becoming sick on sand. He had also begun eating sticks and stones.

When he was finally taken to the zoo it was found his stomach was filled with beach debris and he had to undergo several operations to clear his system. Then he was kept in a special ice-filled quarters to copy the environment emperor penguins live in.

Finally given a clean bill of health, he was placed in a specially-designed crate filled with ice and loaded onto the research vessel Tangaroa.

Almost a week after leaving New Zealand, vets on board the ship decided today they had taken Happy Feet far enough south for him to be able to make his way onwards to the Antarctic.

Sea conditions were too rough for Happy Feet to be released by hand, so he was placed on a tarpaulin slide running from the boat's ramp.

'He needed some gentle encouragement to leave his crate, but then the release went really well,' said Miss Argilla.

Where he was found: The washed up emperor penguin walks along Peka Peka Beach in New Zealand - 3,000 miles north of its home in Antarctica

Where he should be: Emperor penguins walk over the ice in Antarctica

Life-saving: A team of medics operate on the penguin - named Happy Feet - who ended up 3,000 miles away from home and became sick after eating sand it mistook for snow. He was found on June 20


A team from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the boat crew were all on deck to wave him goodbye.

'It's an indescribable feeling to see a patient finally set free,' said Miss Argilla.

Voyage leader Richard O'Driscoll told Wellington's The Press newspaper that apart from giving the veterinary team a few nips at feeding time, the penguin had been a well-behaved passenger.

'It's been a pleasure to have Happy Feet on board,' he said. 'We're just happy to help him on his journey home.'

But just in case he gets lost again, the wayward penguin has been fitted with a tracking device, which will eventually drop off, so the team - and the public - can follow his progress back home.




source:dailymail

The bear who dared: Awesome polar animal descends 300ft cliff in a bid to scavenge eggs from some VERY surprised birds

By Julian Gavaghan


-Previously undocumented scene stunned tourists as they watched bear scramble and slip down Russian precipice

-It is believed hungry bears are being attracted to more dangerous terrain because usual icy hunting spots are melting

Watch the birdie: A hungry polar bear inching down a 300ft cliff face in a desperate search for food on in Novaya Zemlya, Russia


For birds nesting on a precarious cliff, the last visitor they might expect to see would be a hulking polar bear clambering down to join them.

Yet this bulky beast somehow managed to descend a craggy precipice in Russia’s remote Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya.

The young male risked life and limb scavenging for eggs along the 300ft-high rock face thronged with hundreds of squawking Brunnich's Guillemots.


Stunned tourists onboard a chartered ice-breaker boat were left in awe as the watched the previously undocumented spectacle.

American photographer Dylan Coker, who captured the incredible scene, said: ‘The height that the bear was at and the sheerness of the cliff face were absolutely amazing,’ said the 40-year-old.

‘Everyone was terrified it was going to fall.

‘Every so often there would be a gasp from someone on the boat when the bear slipped.
‘It was slipping quite a bit and one point it was stretched right out to reach for eggs in a nest.’

What are you doing here?! The bear approches nesting Brunnich's Guillemots, whose eggs he hoped to scavange


Gone again: The birds raced down the cliff every time the polar bear ventured further down. A quizzical seagull watches from above the bulky beast

Remote: The polar bear before making his daring descent on one of the rocky Ostrova Oranskie islands


Describing the moment the passengers relealised they were seeing a bear on the cliff on one of the Ostrova Oranskie islands, Californian Mr Coker, who now lives in Australia, said: ‘It was a really beautiful place; very foggy, cool, and serene with a sky full of squawking birds.

‘We rounded a corner and suddenly we could see this white blob at the top of some cliffs.

‘The cliffs were at least as high as a five-storey building. At first we thought it might be a large bird or a snow patch but as we got nearer we realised it was a polar bear.

‘Everyone on the boat was quiet, we just sat there in awe.’

Despite its bravado, the bear returned to the top of the cliff without enjoying a full meal after losing its footing several times.

Previously the group of group had encountered polar bears hunting on ice floes in Bukhta Maka, after journeying for two days without seeing land.


In awe: Tourists on a small boat capture the previously undocumented scene with their cameras

Precarious: The bear eventually returned to the top after losing its footing a few too many times


But it is believed that a scarcity of ice has led to bears seeking out food in more dangerous locations.

Mr Coker said: ‘There's a real problem with the ice disappearing due to climate change.

Traditionally the bears sit by an air hole in the ice waiting for a seal to poke its head out so they can grab it.

‘But because there's less and less ice, the bears are looking for alternative sources of food and have discovered the birds' eggs.’

During the expedition the tourists also witnessed bears swimming hundreds of miles out to sea.

Mr Coker added: ‘They're used to resting on and hunting from ice floes but now the bears swim around until they are exhausted, then they drown.’

This was the first time a civilian boat has been granted permission to sail in these waters, which also forms part of a large military zone.

Mountainous and shrouded in mystery, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago stretches 1000 km in an elongated crescent between the Barents and Kara seas.

Today it remains one of Russia's most restricted and isolated regions.

Aurora Expeditions secured the first permit on condition that two government representatives act as chaperones.

Mr Coker, who recently won an Archbishops Award for his photography, added: ‘We were really lucky to have witnessed it.

‘We could have easily been there on a different day and who knows how often this kind of thing occurs.

‘I will never forget the day I watched a polar bear hunt for eggs on a cliff-edge.
‘I couldn't have imagined a better or more unique adventure.’


source:dailymail

The emperor penguin named 'Happy Feet'

In this Aug. 28, 2011 photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, emperor penguin "Happy Feet" is seen in his room at Wellington Zoo's hospital, New Zealand. The emperor penguin has been booked onto a research vessel scheduled to leave the country Aug. 29.



The penguin was found at Peka Peka beach on the Kapiti Coast in June with concerns for his health. Wellington Zoo intervened and nursed the penguin back to good health. He will be released into the Southern Ocean,



WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 29: The emperor penguin named 'Happy Feet' sits in his container aboard NIWA's research vessel Tangaroa, at Burnham Wharf on August 29, 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand.



WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 29: Gareth Morgan, who helped fund the electronic tracking equipment for the emperor penguin 'Happy Feet', holds a giant farewell card containing messages from around the world, beside NIWA's research vessel Tangaroa, at Burnham Wharf on August 29, 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand.



The penguin was found at Peka Peka beach on the Kapiti Coast in June with concerns for his health. Wellington Zoo intervened and nursed the penguin back to good health. He will be released into the Southern Ocean



The penguin was found at Peka Peka beach on the Kapiti Coast in June with concerns for his health. Wellington Zoo intervened and nursed the penguin back to good health. He will be released into the Southern Ocean



WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 29: The emperor penguin named 'Happy Feet' is transported to NIWA's research vessel Tangaroa, at Burnham Wharf on August 29, 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand.



WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 29: The emperor penguin named 'Happy Feet' stands in his container aboard NIWA's research vessel Tangaroa, at Burnham Wharf on August 29, 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand. The penguin was found at Peka Peka beach on the Kapiti Coast in June with concerns for his health. Wellington Zoo intervened and nursed the penguin back to good health. He will be released into the Southern Ocean, complete with GPS tracking device, from NIWA's research vessel four days into a month-long trip to the Campbell Islands, 700km south of New Zealand.


source: daylife
photo: Getty images