SALLY GLAETZER

August 18, 2008 12:00am

WHEN a very hungry, injured and exhausted Snares penguin found itself at Eaglehawk Neck a few weeks ago, it could not have hoped for a better saviour than David Pemberton.
The adult penguin was a couple of thousand kilometres from home and suffering a deep cut to his back.

The yellow-crested species is endemic to the Snares Islands off the south coast of New Zealand and it is very unusual to see one in Tasmania.

"He was very skinny and in a bad way," said Dr Pemberton, the project leader of the Wildlife and Marine Conservation branch of the Department of Primary Industries.

Dr Pemberton took the penguin to a specially designed compound at his home, south of Hobart, where it has been treated to a few weeks of recuperation.

"Basically, we feed him squid and fish, walk him and swim him in the bathtub," Dr Pemberton said. "He gets food, exercise and minimal handling, so he remains a wild bird."

Now Dr Pemberton believes the penguin is ready to re-join his relatives.

"I think he's looking good, he's fat, he's porky and he's already swum the Tasman Sea, so I think he's ready to do it again," he said.

Dr Pemberton had planned to release the penguin at an isolated beach on Thursday, but put it off until early this week because of stormy conditions.