<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/23/emperor-penguin-west-australia-antarctica-southern-ocean>
"Gus, an emperor penguin who gained international fame after travelling about
3,000km from Antarctica to the West Australian coast, is on his long way home
after being released into the Southern Ocean.
Emperor penguins can travel up to 1,600km on foraging trips, when they hunt
fish, squid and krill. So Gus’s arrival on Ocean Beach, Denmark, on 1 November
sparked surprise.
Local wildlife carers Carole and Graham Biddulph looked after Gus during his
20-day “extraordinary stopover” before his release back into the Southern Ocean
earlier this week.
In a Facebook post on Friday, WA’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and
Attraction (DBCA) confirmed the release and said “farewell and safe travels to
our royal overseas guest”.
Gus gained 3.5kg during its time in WA, the DBCA said, and passed several
veterinary health checks before his release.
The Biddulphs, a vet, and a wildlife officer oversaw Gus’s return to the ocean
from a boat off the WA coast on Wednesday.
“With warmer weather approaching, it was critical to return the penguin to its
natural environment, where it can thrive and thermoregulate,” the DBCA said.
It said the Antarctic traveller was “ready to continue its epic journey” thanks
to the Biddulph’s “amazing efforts”.
“Keep going south, Gus,” Carol Biddulph said in a video posted by the DBCA.
“Don’t stop for anyone.”
Emperor penguins are the largest of the 18 penguin species, and can weigh up to
40kg."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
