A stray emperor penguin has been abandoned in the Southern Ocean, 20 days after swimming 2,000 miles from its home in Antarctica. They were released by a Parks and Wildlife Service boat on Wednesday. In particular, the penguin was affectionately named “Gus” after being found on an Australian beach, making international headlines. The young penguin, estimated to be about three feet long, was discovered by surfers at Ocean Beach on November 1. It looked exhausted but alive, marking a rare sighting of this species so far north.
according to ABC News, Gus is thought to have swum for thousands of kilometres, possibly losing his way due to ocean currents. Gus was taken in by local wildlife caretaker Carol Biddulph, who cared for him and nursed him back to health. It was very small, weighing only 47 pounds, while the average weight of an emperor penguin was 88 pounds.
Unusual encounter with Antarctica’s endemic emperor penguin on a beach in Australia $gus pic.twitter.com/JwN5szdmoK
– Supahotponke (@criscross6847) 15 November 2024
“I really didn’t know if he was going to make it because he was so undernourished. I’ll miss Gus. It’s been an incredible few weeks, something I couldn’t have missed,” Ms Biddulph said. Said in a video recorded before the bird’s release.
Under Ms. Biddulph’s care, Gus regained his strength, and his weight increased to about 55 pounds. He was fed a diet of pilchard fish, and by the time of his release, he was eating about 20 fish three times a day.
After 20 days of rehabilitation, Gus was released back into the Southern Ocean on 21 November. He was taken to an undisclosed location, where he was placed in a ventilated pet carrier with ice packs. Once released, Gus fell into the water on his stomach and swam away without looking back.
“Brilliant. He just knew where he needed to be, he didn’t look back and disappeared. It’s just amazing. … He was prepared for this,” Ms Biddulph said.
Experts are still unsure how Gus got so far from home, but theories include getting caught in a current while searching for food or becoming lost due to a storm. While penguins are naturally curious and prone to wandering, they have never been known to travel as far as Gus.
Some also theorized that changing environmental conditions may have led to a shortage of food and resources in Antarctica, forcing Gus to go on a large swimming trip to Australia in search of sustenance.
