An emperor penguin that swam 3,500km from Antarctica to Australia was released back into the chilly waters of the Southern Ocean this week.
The only emperor penguin to make such a marathon migration, Gus — as his caregiver, Carol Biddulph, dubbed him — had gained weight during his time as a minor Australian celebrity. He was a scrawny 21 kilos when he unexpectedly waddled onto a beach in southwest Australia on November 1. Under Biddulph’s care, he increased to a slightly more stocky 24.7 kilos.
Healthy male emperors can weigh more than 45 kilos. But wildlife officials felt it was important to turn Gus loose before the Australian summer made life even more difficult for a creature more used to -40 than +40˚C.
Photo: Miles Brotherson/DBCA
“I really didn’t know whether he was going to make it to begin with because he was so undernourished,” Biddulph said in a video released today by the government.
As she had done with other orphaned penguins, Biddulph added a mirror to his enclosure for company so that the social bird would not feel quite as solitary.
“I think that has been crucial in his well-being,” she said. “He [stood] next to the mirror most of the time.
The boat traveled several hours into the ocean before Gus was released, so he had a bit of a head start.
“I’ve got every faith he will get home,” she added.
