A BRAVE Little Penguin found with bite marks on his leg leaving him unable to be swim has been saved and rehabilitated by Phillip Island Nature Parks and Wildlife Victoria.
The little trooper was finally released back into the ocean after six weeks of care.
‘Red’ was rescued by Wildlife Victoria Emergency Response Service on April 7, at Shelley Beach on Phillip Island.
Wildlife Victoria’s travelling vet team performed emergency surgery on the penguin and was placed into 24hr intensive care.
Red was then transferred to Phillip Island Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic for on-going care.
While the initial surgery saved the penguin’s life, a bald area of scar tissue affected his ability to grow the waterproof feathers he needed to survive in the ocean.
More surgery on April 27 at Newhaven Veterinary Clinic followed to fix the issue.
Nature Parks’ Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic manager Kim Noy said after intense rehabilitation, Red is preparing for his release.
"Several weeks in recovery, he was swim tested and found to be fully waterproof. At the Wildlife Clinic, little penguins must be able to swim for three hours and still have dry feathers to be ideal for release back into the wild,” Ms Noy said.
After six weeks Red had his final weigh-in, feed, and swim and was released back to the ocean.
“Adult little penguins are released on the beach into the ocean. With the help Red received from Wildlife Victoria and our rehabilitation clinic, he is well prepared to find the other penguins out at sea and re-join the group,” Ms Noy said.
The Phillip Island Wildlife Rehabilitation opened in 2011 and is funded through Phillip Island Nature Parks ecotourism activities and the Penguin Foundation adopt a penguin program.
Phillip Island is home to one of the world’s largest Little Penguin colonies, with 40,000 penguins calling the Island home.
Wildlife Victoria is the state’s wildlife Emergency Response Service and is currently raising funds to meet a 15 per cent year-on-year increase.
