Gus, the king penguin, has wandered wildly from his home in Antarctica

U.C.

11. 11. 2024, 11.59

Updated: 11/11/2024, 12:05 p.m

A feathered explorer from Antarctica suddenly swam to a sandy beach near the city of Denmark in southwestern Australia in early November and found herself almost three and a half thousand kilometers away from her home. Never before has a penguin’s foot stepped so far north, as the penguins’ homeland is deep in the Southern Ocean region.

According to surprised eyewitnesses, the unusual bird that suddenly appeared on the beach looked completely lost. “He was trying to slide on his belly and he must have thought the sand was snow,” said the local. “He landed with his face in the sand, got up and shook the sand off him.”

According to the researchers, the record-breaking penguin probably followed a current north of Antarctica that brought it straight to Australia. In search of food, animals usually follow certain streams in which the supply of food is particularly high, he says Belinda Cannell from the University of Western Australia. It is possible that the ocean current in which the king penguin found itself extended further north than usual.

Gus has to compare

they named him Gus and he’s with penguin experts rn. he was super underweight n may of accidentally followed a currant too far pic.twitter.com/CB96U9nzzV

— betelgeeuse (@gothamgrrls) November 10, 2024

The king penguin, who was named Gus and has already become a real star, initially looked quite malnourished. He is currently in the good care of the bird keeper and is already recovering. Gus weighs about 23 kilograms. An adult male can grow up to 1.40 meters tall and weigh 40 kilograms. The penguin will now need to gain weight and muscle.

Gus is cared for in a special enclosure for birds. Not even in your wildest dreams are you a caretaker Carol Biddulph she didn’t think she’d ever care for an emperor penguin: “This is simply amazing. It is a privilege to be a part of this birding journey.”