Penguin Found At New Zealand Airport Just Before Takeoff: "Unusual Little Visitor"

A small penguin was spotted on the runway at New Zealand's Wellington National Airport just before takeoff around 2 pm on January 12. This incident caused flight delays before it was finally rescued, as per a report in the New York Post. 

The small blue penguin, known locally as a Korora, was spotted by an Air Chathams pilot. This prompted the airport staff to immediately run and grab the bird.

The official account of Wellington Airport took to Instagram and said, "Found on the runway: a very unusual little visitor! A pilot was about to take off on January 12th when they spotted this little korora (blue penguin)."

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"The pilot and passengers patiently waited while Wellington Airport staff raced out to collect and help the visitor. Our runway sensors were reading 50 degrees at the time, so it's no wonder they weren't particularly happy!" they added.

The airport added that the penguin was taken to the Wellington Zoo to recover and has also done fencing to keep the bird away in the future. "We took our little friend to The Nest at Wellington Zoo to recover, and we've done some penguin proofing to our fences to keep our flippered friends out of trouble in future," they concluded the post and posted a series of photos. One shows the penguin running on the concrete.

According to New Zealand outlet Stuff, Wellington Airport's Wildlife Officer Jack Howarth said that the animal was in a "less-than-impressed mood" and it is not sure how long it had been exposed to the sun without shelter. 

The penguin was just six weeks old when it was discovered, a representative for Wellington Zoo said. "Though thin, hungry, and a little underweight, the fledgling was otherwise in good health," they said.

Since then, the bird has had blood tests done, x-rays taken, and a diet rich in fish to help it gain weight. According to the spokesperson, the adult feathers have already grown in, and the team plans to release the korora back into the wild in a few weeks once the feathers are waterproof.