Authorities desperate to find injured and distressed little penguin stolen from Manly Cove

• John Morcombe
• Manly Daily
• August 29, 2014 

.A little penguin was taken from Manly Cove yesterday.
 

CONCERNS are held for the welfare of a little penguin that was last seen being put in a box on the eastern side of Manly Wharf early yesterday morning.

The distressed and injured little penguin was first spotted about 6am and calls were made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, WIRES and Sydney Wildlife. But by the time an NPWS person arrived, the penguin had been placed in a box by someone and taken away. The NPWS’s little penguin coordinator Mel Tyas said the NPWS was extremely concerned for the bird’s plight and stressed that it would need immediate help.

A little penguin was seen being put into a box at Manly Cove yesterday.

“We have people who confirmed seeing it being taken away in a cardboard box but we have been unable to track its whereabouts since then,” she said. “The penguin was seen by a number of people who described it as having what appeared to be a chewed tail and was being attacked by birds on the eastern side of Manly Wharf.

The penguin was taken from the eastern side of Manly Wharf.

“With our close connections to Taronga Zoo, WIRES and the Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Service, we know it was not picked up by these agencies, which is troubling as the little bird will need specialist care. “If someone did pick it up, we would ask the well-meaning person to drop it off to Taronga Wildlife Hospital as soon as possible or call 9978 4785 – even if it did not survive “Little penguins are not like their Antarctic cousins and don’t like to be out in the cold – a sick kittle penguin really needs very specialist care if it is to be nurtured back to health. “Someone must know what happened to it, so if you know where it is, dead or alive, please let us know straight away.”

The little penguin is likely to be distressed and in need of care.

Ms Tyas said that even if the little penguin did not survive, it was important that the bird was examined and its microchip checked to determine which penguin it was and which nesting site it was from.  She said that people should report all sick and injured little penguins to NPWS duty officer on 9457 9577 immediately.

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