Drunken Penguin Thieves

It’s the penguin story that won’t go away.  As the Penguin Post reported last week a trio of Welsh tourists visiting Australia had themselves quite a night which ended in a scenario that fans of the movie ‘The Hangover’ would no doubt recognize.  Now a few more revealing details of that bleary night have emerged.  It appears that after consuming too many “adult beverages” the trio broke into the local Sea World and took an impromptu swim with the dolphins. Not happy with simply a dip in the dolphin tank the three Welsh revelers moved on to the penguin exhibit, decided they needed some company and kidnapped a penguin.  After that they claim things got a bit fuzzy. The following morning the trio said they were surprised (to say the least) to wake up with not just a hangover, but also a seven-year old Fairy penguin named Dirk in their room.   Upon realizing they were not hallucinating and did indeed have a penguin in their room the three (stooges) decided the best course of action was not to alert the authorities or Sea World, but to make a video of Dirk the penguin in their room, then thinking they might get in trouble (duh) for stealing a penguin they  packed Dirk up and drove him about a mile down the road to a nearby canal where they dumped him, apparently thinking that penguins like water, therefore any body of water should do.

The three Welsh tourists?

Guys, for future reference penguins don’t like canals.  It was not until the next day that a passersby noticed poor Dirk being chased by a dog that Sea World officials were notified and able to safely rescue him.  Dirk was scared and a bit bruised but all things considered o.k.   As for the men, it won’t take Jack McCoy to convict them, as even though they maintain they were too drunk to recall snatching the penguin, they apparently had the wherewithal to shoot a video, take Dirk to a nearby canal, and then made reference to the stolen penguin on Facebook.  Given the social media posting it didn’t take long for the local authorities to figure out who the penguin-nappers were and arrest them. ‘We’re really sorry for all the trouble we’ve caused,” said one of the men, who are all facing charges of trespassing, stealing and unlawfully keeping a protected animal, and basically being just plain dumb. No comment from Dirk.

Dirk after his rescue as seen on local Aussie TV.

Penguin Numbers Rebounding In Aussie Island

A bit of good holiday penguin news as the Penguin Post has learned that Little Blue penguins are flocking back to Warrnambool’s Middle Island in South Eastern Australia with the biggest influx since the population was almost wiped out by predators six years ago. An estimated 190 little penguins have arrived for the annual breeding season and at least 17 chicks and nine eggs have been counted so far. Maremma guardian dogs Eudy and Tula have also returned to the island to protect the colony from foxes and roaming dogs. More than 600 penguins and short-tailed shearwaters once lived on Middle Island, near Warrnambool’s breakwater, but dog and fox raids reduced penguin numbers to less than 10 by 2005. Warrnambool City Council and the local Coastcare Landcare group swung into action to help restore the population, with an award-winning Maremma dog project as the centerpiece. City council officer Justin Harzmeyer said the dogs had been returning to the island every year since the first four-week trial in 2006. He visits the island twice a day to feed and monitor the dogs. “It puts our minds at ease knowing the Maremmas are back there watching over them,” he said. Mr Harzmeyer said he was thrilled to see penguin numbers on the rise. Middle Island has been closed to the public since 2009, but now there will be opportunities this summer to see the birds up close.

A Couple Of The Islands Little Blue Penguins

New Zealand Penguins Head Back To Sea

The Penguin Post has learned that the first group of penguins that have been re-habbing since the Rena oil spill last week have been released.  Yesterday, sixty penguins spent a gruelling half dozen hours swimming non-stop in preparation for their final waddle and swim to freedom this morning. The micro-chipped penguins, who were released on the beach this morning, spent yesterday swimming (training) in their pools in practice for the big day. Dr Brett Gartrell, head of the oiled wildlife centre at Te Maunga, said the marathon swim was crucial to make sure the released penguins could handle the rigours of life beyond their pens. “We’re simulating the fact the penguins have to spend the whole day out on the water. “We’ve even had a couple go to sleep during the test, which is good, it shows they’re relaxed,” he said. After the six-hour swim the birds needed to be checked over to make sure their feathers were completely waterproof. Only six of the birds failed the waterproofing test and will be held back to get stronger before being released at a later date.

The penguins, released on Mount Maunganui beach at Shark Alley, between Leisure Island and Rabbit Island, were all brought in from areas nearby and Dr Gartrell said they should easily find their way home. We know exactly where each bird has come from. They’re from Leisure Island, Rabbit Island and Pilot Bay. It’s all within easy swimming distance for a penguin. They have a better navigational sense than we do. Most of the time they’ll go back to the same burrows over and over again,” he said. No penguins were being released from colonies on Matakana or Motiti Islands or from the seaward side of Mauao because those areas were not yet considered clean enough. Dr. Gartrell said the salinity levels of the pools were being increased to get the penguins used to salt water again after spending so much time in fresh water pools.

Two shags were released on Sunday and Dr. Gartrell said it was an emotional moment seeing the first birds released. “I believe there were people with tears in their eyes. It was a brilliant moment. For a long time we’ve been in a holding pattern, it was starting to feel like it was going to go on forever. But it was great.” He said the first penguins would be another milestone but there was still more work to do at the center. “I tell you, it’ll feel great [releasing the first penguins], but it won’t feel as good as releasing the very last penguins,” he said. He said the centre expected to release birds in batches about every five days, depending on the penguins’ preparedness. Of the 360 penguins taken into care, only about 20 have died.

The first 60 penguins being released on the beach.

Meanwhile, at the scene of the oil spill salvors battled winds reaching more than 40 knots (74km/h) to remove a further 21 containers from the stern of Rena. Seventy containers have now been removed. Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Arthur Jobard said the salvage team had done well to remove so many containers in the windy conditions. “They have still managed to remove a good number of containers, which is excellent.” Mr Jobard said containers landing ashore at the Port of Tauranga were being efficiently processed by container recovery company Braemar Howells.

Rescued Penguins Doing Well

The Penguin Post has learned that the penguin mother rescued with her chicks from Split Apple Rock several weeks ago is performing her maternal role so well her babies are now bigger than her, veterinarian Mana Stratton says. The Mahana veterinarian, with help from her mother, Frances Stratton, has been battling to save the lives of the penguin family after a dog attack at Split Apple near Kaiteriteri robbed the chicks of a parent, and the mother of a critical mate. Penguins chicks need both parents to raise them, Ms Stratton said. “All the penguins are doing well and both chicks are well above 1kg. The adult is still very dedicated to the chicks and currently gets six feeds a day. She is now lighter than both chicks, at just over 800g and will need to gain more weight before being released.” Ms Stratton said the chicks were on a diet of a part-feed twice a day and were each shedding their down to reveal adult feathers. The chicks were found by a Mapua family which saw the attack, and reported it to the Department of Conservation and the Tasman District Council. A member of the family then delivered the penguins to DOC, which took them to Ms Stratton who is a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry vet with expertise in the care of exotic animals and marine wildlife. She said the family that rescued the penguins visited at the weekend, and the children, Max and Holly Goulter, named the penguins Split, Apple, and Rock. “Rock is the adult penguin as she is the `rock’ in the chicks’ life,” Ms Stratton said. The penguin family’s survival depended on their ability to feed and gain weight. The adult penguin was fed fish fillets, and then moved on to more fattening salmon smolt. The aim was to feed the parent enough so it could feed the chicks normally through regurgitating the food. DOC Motueka area manager Martin Rodd said it was an offence for dogs to kill wildlife, and dog owners could be prosecuted. DOC had passed on information about the dog incident to the Tasman District Council, which followed up. Regulatory manager Adrian Humphries said the two dogs involved had been identified and steps had been taken to make sure it did not happen again. He said the dogs’ owner was horrified by what had happened and had given a significant donation to a penguin welfare fund.

Mana Stratton with one of the little blue penguins rescued after a dog attack.

Penguin Hotel

A guest at the Penguin Hilton

As told to the Penguin Post life’s just fine for the 320 rescued residents of the “Penguin Hilton” at Te Maunga in Southern New Zealand. Oiled Wildlife Center manager Brett Gartrell tells us these penguins are being cared for “as if they were staying at a Hilton.”  After going through the oil removal process the little blue penguins are settling in and getting used to their luxurious accommodations.  The newbies, who are still in recovery, get to swim in a pool every day, but the birds whose feathers have largely regained their waterproofing get to live in the enclosures. They hang out by the pool all day, get catered meals, and the staff bring in upturned fish bins for the birds to roost under at night. Brett says when leaving at night, the center staff hear the penguins “talking” and they’re still at it when they arrive back in the morning.

Penguins in their pool

“When they first come in they’re pretty terrified of us, but fortunately for us and the penguins they lose their fear pretty quickly,” says Brett.  Stressed birds bite.   To put into context the type of care that these birds receive, only 10 ( less than 3%) of the oiled penguins rescued have died since their arrival.   Most of the recovering birds are little blue penguins, and they are the ones that have recovered best.  Each of the penguin enclosures can comfortably hold 30-40 penguins and they are fine, says Brett.

The swimming tanks

Upon arrival, oiled birds’ first stop is a heated tent where they are fed and allowed to regain their strength for a few days before they start on the washing process. It is very stressful for a wild bird and involves being handheld for 30-40 minutes while its feathers are soaked in canola oil to lift up the heavy fuel oil – and then washed off with detergent.  After a trial and error process using a variety of detergents, it was discovered that Dawn detergent works best. Upon hearing of this penguin cleaning revelation, U.S. detergent manufacturer Proctor and Gamble didn’t miss a beat and immediately donated and flew 2000 pounds of Dawn from the United States to New Zealand.  Brett has no idea why Dawn reduces wash time by 20-30 minutes, but it just does.  The locally available detergents just didn’t really cut through the heavy fuel oil, and when washing 30 – 40 birds a day that extra half hour can be very important, although the heavy volume of penguins needing a cleaning has diminished the past few days. “We’re just waiting for the last few to come in for a good for washing,” says Brett. After the wash they go through the rinse, now held in the original mobile unit, a former shipping container Massey University has on standby for such an eventuality. After the 15-20 minute rinse the birds are basically in recovery. They are still unable to be released into the wild because the penguins feathers aren’t waterproof, but they do get to swim in a pool each day. “But, because they’re not waterproof after an hour in the pool they’re brought back in to dry off,” says Brett. “The stress levels in the birds go down amazingly once they can get out and have a swim.” The birds being ready for the new enclosures signal their readiness by taking longer and longer to get out of the pool, and take to circling the center when it’s time to dry off and warm up.  The pools at “penguin city” are fresh water because all the wastewater and tank run off has to be able to recycle through the Tauranga City Council’s wastewater treatment plant. “Over the course of a week we will put them in a pool and gradually bring them back up to oceanic salt,” says Brett. The specialized enclosure units are filling with birds that are ready to go back to the sea, says Brett.  But, the staff and penguins are also waiting until the immediate threat of the oil spill is removed, so they don’t end up back at the center again.

Guests Soaking Up The Sun at The Penguin Hotel

NZ Penguins Move Into Their New Home

The Penguin Post has learned that the first Rena-refugee penguins in New Zealand are being moved into their flashy new digs but their new accommodation has had to be protected by stoat, rat and cat traps. Over 300 Little Blue Penguins are in care at the Rena Oiled Wildlife Recovery centre and new pens have just come on-line that will house the birds long-term while their environment is cleared of oil. The pens feature a shallow pool with ramps and two large standing spaces that can be alternately sectioned off for cleaning. The first birds were moved into the pens yesterday though wildlife specialist Danielle Sijbranda was also stationed inside the enclosure to help out if anything went wrong. “We get the occasional dumb penguin that has to be pushed towards the ramp (out of the water),” said center manager Brett Gartrell. Gartrell said the penguins were robust little birds that quickly became used to having humans around. Eventually the penguins would live in the enclosure day and night. With access to the water, rather than the half-hour daily swim they were getting at the moment, they would re-waterproof themselves much faster, Gartrell said.

Little Blue Penguins Waddle In To Their Temporary New Digs.

Saving Penguins Means Leaving Their Eggs

Sadly, unborn baby blue penguins are being sacrificed to save their oil-covered parents. The Penguin Posthas learned that conservation experts are facing heart-wrenching decisions in the wake of the Rena grounding – and rescuing penguins covered in oil means being unable to save eggs left behind in the nests.

Cleaning an oiled Little Blue Penguin

It is breeding season for the 200-300 breeding pairs of little blue penguins in the Western Bay, most of which are incubating their eggs in nests and burrows along the coastline.

However, many parent penguins coming ashore in the evening to find their burrows have crossed rocks covered in thick tar-like oil and become oiled. Rebecca Bird, from World Wildlife Fund New Zealand, said removing an oiled penguin would give it a chance of survival but would also jeopardise the survival of its clutch. “We checked on the pair of little blue penguins in the ‘window nest’ a couple of nights ago and the mate was oiled so we had to take him away to the recovery centre to be looked after. Then the next night we found the other penguin was oiled and had to take her away. “We hope that the birds we recover will be rehabilitated successfully but it’s heartbreaking to know that saving them means their clutch won’t be reared,” she said. In an effort to save the clutch, the team placed the eggs with another pair of penguins. But the adoptive pair rejected them. Miss Bird is one of 140 field staff working as part of Maritime New Zealand’s oiled wildlife recovery team, under the guidance of Wildlife field operations manager Brent Stephenson. He said the decision to save adult penguins and leave the eggs had been tough and many people had a hard time accepting the decision. “Obviously, it’s not an easy thing for people to do but that was one decision we came to, based on all of the research that’s around. Adult penguins are a very important part of the population and they have a high survival rate in normal conditions. “The eggs and most of the young generally die in the first couple of years into adulthood so it was far more important to look after the adults,” he said. The team has been monitoring penguin burrows every day along Western Bay coastline since oil began washing up on Papamoa Beach. It has also focused on the rocky shoreline around Mauao, Leisure Island, Rabbit Island and Maketu Peninsula, where most of the penguins nest. Miss Bird said when team members found a penguin nest, they evaluated the birds and decided to remove them from their nest and eggs or else marked and checked them the next night. If they were covered in oil, they were taken back to the wildlife recovery centre in Te Maunga to be cleaned and rehabilitated. Local conservation volunteer Dave Richards said some penguins were abandoning their nests after losing their mate. “They stay on their nests until they figure out their mate isn’t coming back and eventually they’ll go and feed.” Last week, Mr Richards and other recovery team members were on Rabbit Island (Motuotau), checking penguin nests. He said they had been “inundated with oiled penguins”. “We were expecting the worst and we found 24 oiled penguins, seven dead, just in the landing bay. It’s not so good out here,” he said. “I never thought – it’s a relatively small amount of oil – and it’s already had such a devastating impact on the penguins. “It’s just heartbreaking.” Mr Richards said this year’s crop of young penguins would be much lower than in previous years. “But the good thing is that mum and dad are being saved and they’ll be released when it’s safe for them and they can get back to doing what penguins do, having more babies.” More than 300 little blue penguins have been rescued since the Rena grounded on Astrolabe Reef. Miss Bird said their chances of survival were high as they were resilient.

 

Penguin Enclosures Down Under

The Penguin Post has learned that the race is on to complete specialized penguin enclosures that will give hundreds of birds a new lease on life in New Zealand. By lunchtime today (Thursday) builders will have completed six specialized penguin enclosures, each measuring 6m x 9m. About a dozen builders, predominantly from DWYERtech Services, aim to finish four more enclosures by the end of next week for long-term care of the 314 penguins at the Wildlife Rescue Centre at Te Maunga. Each enclosure can house up to 30 penguins and includes a large pool where penguins can swim and play, as well as large communal areas where they can preen and feed. Wildlife Recovery Centre facility manager Bill Dwyer and his team began building the first penguin enclosure on Sunday and had begun five more since Tuesday.

Washing an oiled penguin

He is in charge of deciding where buildings and tents will be erected at the Wildlife Recovery Centre – a role he’s had since Rena struck the Astroblabe Reef, leaking its fuel into the ocean three weeks ago. The enclosures are made with three tiers of materials – polyethylene plastic sheets layered underneath plastic pellets with a thin layer of tubing so it doesn’t hurt the penguins’ feet, Mr Dwyer said. Mr Dwyer said he wasn’t sure how long the penguins would remain inside the enclosures but they could be a long-term solution if necessary. “As long as there’s an issue with oil, these penguins can stay as long as they like,” he said. Until now the penguins have been living in small basket-like enclosures and moved to a pool to swim. Working on such a task has been a challenge, as Mr Dwyer has never made a penguin enclosure before but he said it was a rewarding experience. He is a member of the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre at Massey University in Palmerston North and worked in the wildlife recovery after the Jody F spill in 2002. However, on this occasion, there were a lot more birds to deal with than back then. “We didn’t know how to approach this so [we] drew up a plan and sort of went from there,” he said. The 314 penguins in the Wildlife Recovery Centre get fed twice a day and eat five to seven fish at each feeding.
They also have one swim a day. This lets them condition and preen their feathers, which is crucial to their re-waterproofing. Oiled Wildlife Response manager Kerri Morgan said it was important to monitor the penguin’s health and condition, especially at feeding times. “Correct feeding is a critical part of the rehabilitation process and our staff take great care when feeding the penguins,” Ms Morgan said. “We use either sprats or anchovies and need to ensure that none of the natural oils from the fish get on the birds’ feathers as this can damage their natural waterproofing.” Ms Morgan said it was too early to tell when the penguins could be released but the focus was on ensuring they were all healthy and well-nourished before being released back into the wild. She said all the penguins were “doing really well and have a great fighting spirit”. The centre now has 379 live birds in its care.

Penguin Shelters Under Construction

Penguin Sweaters

The Penguin Post has learned that the owner of a New Zealand knitting shop has been overwhelmed with donations of little penguin-sized “sweaters” to protect a number of the birds caught in a recent oil spill.  The store, Skeinz, posted an appeal on its Yarn Kitchen blog on Oct. 11, asking volunteers to knit “small penguin PJs” to prevent the birds from preening their feathers and ingesting the oil. A complete set of instructions was included. Perhaps not realizing the popularity of penguins worldwide the store received hundreds of penguin sweaters within days. “As reported earlier, we do have critical mass of jumpers (sweaters),” read the blog entry last Monday. Then, the penguin sweater saga went viral, and the shop got 600 e-mails after it was featured on Good Morning America. Thursday’s update read, “The Wildlife Rescue Centre do not require any more jumpers, but if you have completed one, send it, as we have another rescue centre who has requested the surplus once the crisis has abated.’ The container ship Rena ran aground on a reef off New Zealand’s east coast on Oct. 6 and has spilled approximately 350 tonnes of fuel. Cleanup efforts are continuing and two crew members face charges.

Too Many Penguin Sweaters May Be Too Much For Penguins

The Penguin Post has learned that due to the generous outpouring of handknits by the penguin loving public, a Maritime New Zealand spokesman says wildlife centers now have more than enough penguin sweaters right at the moment, particularly with the warm weather they’ve been having the past few days, and with the short term  forecast for more of the same.  Considering the higher than usual temps the penguins may not even appreciate the woolies, says one bird-keeper at Auckland Zoo. “Putting something like that on a penguin, it’s probably only going to stress it out even more than they already are,” she told Bay of Plenty Times. “These are wild penguins, they haven’t had any interaction with humans. There’s already enough stress on a bird without trying to put a sweater on it.”  So, with the penguins washed and cleaned and warmer than usual temps these penguins might not need their Fall fashion statements right now. Although all surplus sweaters will be kept in storage just in case they are needed again.