First emperor penguin known to reach Australia found on tourist beach

MELBOURNE, Australia -- An emperor penguin found malnourished far from its Antarctic home on the Australian south coast is being cared for by a wildlife expert, a government department said Monday.

The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on a popular tourist beach in the town of Denmark in temperate southwest Australia — about 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) north of the icy waters off the Antarctic coast, according to a statement from the Western Australia state’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

The largest penguin species has never been reported in Australia before, University of Western Australia research fellow Belinda Cannell said, though some had reached New Zealand, Australia's neighbor almost entirely south of Denmark.

Cannell said she had no idea why the penguin traveled to Denmark.

Cannell is advising seabird rehabilitator Carol Biddulph who is caring for the penguin, spraying him with a chilled water mist to help him cope with his alien climate. The penguin is 1 meter (39 inches ) tall and initially weighed 23 kilograms (51 pounds).

A healthy male can weigh more than 45 kilograms (100 pounds).

The department said its efforts were focused on rehabilitating the penguin. Asked if the penguin could potentially be returned to Antarctica, the department replied that “options are still being worked through.”