NewsCore

December 10, 2011 7:10PM

Emperor penguin "Happy Feet" was last seen in August shortly after being released from Wellington Zoo's hospital in New Zealand. Picture: AP

Scientists lost touch with "Happy Feet" after he was released into the Southern Ocean. It is thought his tagging device fell off. Picture: AP Photo

A WEALTHY philanthropist wants to find Happy Feet, the lost emperor penguin that gained worldwide stardom after he washed up on a New Zealand beach thousands of miles from his Antarctic home.

After being nursed back to health, Happy Feet caught a ride home on a research ship, where in a very public media event he was released, complete with an electronic tracker that allowed people to follow his progress on the internet.
That signal died only a short time later, prompting many to fear Happy Feet had met with an unfortunate end.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald Gareth Morgan - who paid for the transmitter - said he believed the popular penguin may have simply swum out of range and he plans to mount a mission to find him.

This theory matches that of tracking company Sirtrack who told news.com.au in September that the rumours of Happy Feet's death were greatly exaggerated and that it was likely his tracking device had simply fallen off.

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