Happy Feet caught checking himself out
KIRAN CHUG
23/08/2011
EYE CANDY: Wellington Zoo have placed the mirror in Happy Feet's enclosure for a little mental stimulation.
NEW HOME: Experts are working on a custom made
container to ensure Happy Feet is kept safe and cool for his trip to
the subantarctic.
While staff prepare for the emperor penguin's trip back to the subantarctic, Happy Feet has been given a new toy to play with.
A new mirror was placed in his enclosure for mental stimulation and it seems the penguin is quite taken with himself.
Wellington Zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker said the mirror provided stimulation to Happy Feet now that he was well and active.
"He seems to be very interested in the 'other' penguin," Ms Baker said.
Meanwhile, the zoo is gearing up for Happy Feet's departure on August 29 when he will be released at 53 degrees south, the northern-most end of waters juvenile emperor penguins are known to inhabit.
Construction is under way on a special travel enclosure for the penguin to travel in when he sets sail.
He will board a Niwa research vessel but will travel in a custom-made container to ensure he is kept safe and cool.
Staff are constructing his travel container from the same material used to build containers for holding fish in fishing vessels.
It would be made large enough for him to stand up in, lift his beak up in, and turn around in.
However, his watchers on board would be able to decrease its size if conditions got rough.
Ms Baker said staff would miss him once he was gone.
"We're going to miss him but the best thing for us is being able to release animals back to the wild."
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Last hurrah for Happy Feet
Aug 24 2011
The
emperor penguin who became world famous when he washed up on a New
Zealand beach in June will have his last hurrah this weekend.
The penguin, who has lived at Wellington Zoo since he was found on Peka Peka beach, will be released in the Southern Ocean four days into the ship's month-long trip to the Campbell Islands, 700km south of New Zealand.
On Sunday, Wellington Zoo is hosting a "Haere Ra Happy Feet" day where visitors have the chance to sign a farewell card and are encouraged to dress up in black and white.
Before he leaves Happy Feet will go under anaesthetic for the final time so a GPS tracking device can be attached to him.
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