Sunday 23rd April 2023

​Hello friends and family
This has not been an easy week. We are ever hopeful of finding the missing penguins so unproductive monitoring rounds are depressing. The weather has conspired to add to this by being grey, damp, and cold. The rehab penguins are the strugglers, and a bit of drama was added when Mr 299 escaped. We run a rehab, not a prison, so this does happen, but a penguin should not be able to escape from a mosquito-proof enclosure.

​He was first seen in the paddock by Joe on Monday night. I tried to catch him, but he was not having a bar of it, so I left it for the morning when the team were here. There was no sign of him. Rabbit-proof fencing makes it difficult for penguins to get back to the sea from here, but not impossible!

experiencing nature

​I was sitting at the computer on Wednesday morning and glanced out the window. There he was, strolling up the drive. I caught him and we released him on Thursday morning after a few good meals of sardines. After the Thursday rounds, a local couple delivered another starving pre-moult adult. This one has not been micro-chipped yet but behaves as if it has been in rehab before. 

life in the old light yet

​The sun came out for the weekend and Hiltrun came up to do some habitat work. I walked the coast and completed end of season jobs like emptying the chest freezer in the garage, putting the little penguin boxes, and the penguin tent away for the winter. We have 11 penguins in care.

the reward - penguins being normal

Have a great week!
Rosalie