Little blue penguin has reunion with new mate
A rescued little blue penguin has returned to the mate he reluctantly parted from 10 days ago.
On March 26, Tickle was released at Oneroa Beach after being taken to Waiheke Native Bird Rescue suffering from starvation. Tickle hung around for about 15 minutes, calling to a female rescued penguin, Roimata, before finally choosing to swim out to sea.
Roimata was not healthy enough to be released and stayed in a cage used for exercising the penguins daily in the sea.
The penguins had bonded closely during six weeks in care together.
Native Bird Rescue founder Karen Saunders has taken Roimata for regular swims at Oneroa Beach, giving Tickle a chance to return to his mate.
This week, Tickle, easily identified by a hole in a flipper, swam back to the cage.
She has taken the young lovebirds back to the centre, because Tickle has lost weight and will need feeding up again.
Plans are being made to release the pair together.
The penguin romance has been a ray of light in an otherwise dark period for Saunders.
Over the past 10 days, 15 severely underweight penguins have been brought in from beaches on Waiheke Island, near Auckland, and only two have survived.
In total, about 35 starving penguins have been brought to the centre this year. While most have been juveniles, a few starving adults have also been found.
Six dead little blue penguins were found on Onetangi Beach one day late last month, and four dead penguins were found there the next day, Saunders said.
Numerous factors are against the penguins, she said. ‘‘There’s plastic pollution and climate change and a lack of fish stocks.’’