Every year we have kind supporters who sponsor a yellow-eyed penguin and in return they receive a certificate about the penguin and its history. If the penguin is resighted we feature it here on FB.
This is Vidya on the left who was sponsored as a chick. She was an singleton and fledged naturally at a good weight about 16 February. We found her on her home beach 10 days later and she was bit skinny - obviously not so good at catching fish just yet. But she came back and it gave us an opportunity to fatten her up and give her a second chance. She left again on 22 March but returned 9 days later for another top-up leaving on 4 April at a good weight. This time she was away 16 days but came back and is now getting her third top-up in our pen. She must be catching some fish because she was not desperately thin - but thin enough for some help!
She has another 'repeat-offender' with her in the pen as well as our visitor from the south, the Snares crested penguin. She is not far away from being released again - she knows the routine now: if she can't work it out, she can come back again and again until she manages to look after herself. We check the beaches every day to make sure we find these struggling youngsters - this one is very blessed because there is a special human out there thinking of her! Thank you, kind sponsor!