Emperor penguins, which live in Antarctica, suddenly appeared on Ocean Beach, Denmark town, in early November.
Malnourished emperor penguins found on Australian beaches. Image: Christopher Tan/X
A person walking on the beach discovered the animal and notified local authorities. This rare and strange encounter may mark the first time emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) appeared on the Australian continent, Interesting Engineering reported on November 13.
According to Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), the emperor penguin’s incredible journey suggests the animal may have swum with ocean currents north in search of food. and ended up going much further than expected.
“The ones that were tracked never went that far,” said Belinda Cannell, a researcher at the University of Western Australia. Normally, emperor penguins live in the cold regions of Antarctica and rarely venture further than the icy boundaries of the southernmost seas. Cannell speculates that the emperor’s journey at Ocean Beach may have been influenced by food-rich ocean currents, leading it to unfamiliar warm waters.
When first discovered, the emperor penguins appeared malnourished and needed immediate care. Local seabird rehabilitator Carol Biddulph took it to a safe enclosure to stabilize its health. DBCA will monitor the animal’s recovery with the ultimate goal of release into a suitable environment.
Emperor penguins are famous for their toughness and endurance in the harsh environment of Antarctica, where they breed in winter in sub-zero temperatures. That one of them would travel such a great distance to Australia is an extraordinary event, which could yield new information about penguin migration patterns, ocean currents and the wider impact of climate change with marine animals. This event also raised interesting questions for scientists, making them curious to find out whether changes in sea water temperature or unusual ocean currents contributed to the event.