Penguin Family Rescue

Receiving a call about a penguin fatality is never good, but in the middle of the breeding season there are inevitably difficult consequences. We received such a call about an adult little blue that had been killed by a dog near its burrow site. There were 2 fluffy little chicks in the burrow which the adult had been feeding and guarding.

It takes 2 adults to raise 2 chicks. The adults take day about to go out fishing, returning to the burrow at night to feed the chicks and change over their parental duties. With 1 adult gone it is impossible for the remaining adult to sustain 2 growing, demanding chicks. The remaining adult will typically stay with the chicks until it’s impossible to stay any longer before abandoning the nest to save itself for another breeding season. The wee chicks then suffer and die by starvation or predation.

In this case we consulted with our amazing rehabber, Mana, and decided to leave the chicks overnight in the hope that the remaining adult would return to the burrow. The strategy worked and the following morning we were able to uplift the 2 chicks with their mum.

At Mana’s clinic, all 3 little blues were weighed and tucked into their own nest box to recover from their stressful ordeal. The following morning all 3 were still alive so now it is “job on” to ensure they are well fed so that they all survive. The adult, named Kina, and chicks, will be returned to the sea once her chicks are old enough to fledge and swim for themselves. Watch this space for updates over the next few weeks.

If you encounter an injured or sick penguin please call the DOC hotline 0800 362 468 with your location and situation. Please stay with the little blue to ensure it stays safe from predators until help arrives. Take photos for reference. Thanks!