emperor penguin gas gained international fame After traveling approximately 3,000 kilometers from Antarctica to the coast of Western Australia, it was released into the Southern Ocean and is now on its way home.
Emperor penguins can travel up to 1,600 km on foraging trips hunting for fish, squid, and krill. So Gus's arrival in Ocean Beach, Denmark, on November 1st caused surprise.
Local wildlife conservationists Carol Biddulph and Graham Biddulph cared for Gus during a 20-day “temporary stay” before being released back into the Southern Ocean earlier this week.
In a Facebook post on Friday, WA's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) confirmed the release and said: “Farewell and safe travels to our overseas royal guests.”
According to the DBCA, Gus gained 3.5 kg while in Washington state and passed several veterinary check-ups before being released.
On Wednesday, the Biddulphs, veterinarians and wildlife rangers supervised Gus' return to the ocean from a boat off the coast of Washington state.
“With warmer weather on the horizon, it was important to return the penguins to a natural environment where they can grow and regulate their body temperature,” the DBCA said.
The magazine said that thanks to Biddulph's “remarkable efforts”, Antarctic travelers are “ready to continue their epic journey”.
“Gus, keep going south,” Carol Biddulph said in a video posted by DBCA. “Don’t stop for anyone.”
Emperor penguins are the largest of the 18 species of penguins, weighing up to 40 kg.
According to the Australian Antarctic Program, they are very sociable and huddle together to stay warm.
Temperatures inside the huddle can reach 24°C.
“At a societal level, huddles are extraordinary acts of cooperation in the face of common challenges,” the program says.
“Emperors take this to the extreme, taking turns occupying the warmest and coldest positions in the group.
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“On a windy day, those on the windward edge feel colder than those on the center or leeward side. One by one they peel off the mob, limping, down the flank of the group, and on the leeward side. rejoin the group.
“They follow each other in a continuous procession, passing through the warm center of the population and eventually returning to the windward edge.”
Penguins are also insulated by a layer of feathers and body fat stores. Penguins' feet have special fat that prevents them from freezing and strong claws that grip ice.
They are considered a “near-threatened species” and are the only animals that breed in the Antarctic winter, “breeding under some of the worst weather conditions on Earth”.
The male emperor has incubation duties, but once the chick hatches, the parents share the role.
“He has a long journey home,” Biddulph said. “I'm sure he'll be successful. He's a one-in-a-million bird.
“He's great.”
