Unhappy ending to penguin’s epic feat

Wildlife experts are amazed at an Antarctic penguin’s 4000km journey to a Geraldton, Australia beach.

The exhausted male King Penguin was first spotted swimming at a Coronation Bay beach, about 20km north of the city.

Department of Environment and Conservation workers checked the uninjured penguin as it rested on the beach.

The next morning it was found dead and headless.

Wildlife experts believe the chubby penguin may have fallen prey to a fox but a cruel human attack has not been ruled out.

DEC supervising wildlife officer Peter Lambert said yesterday that the penguin was several thousand kilometres off course.

Mr Lambert said it had probably become displaced from its sub-Antarctic breeding colony after being swept across the Southern Ocean in a frontal system.

Source: The West Australian