Happy Feet penguin release - NIWA
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Uploaded by VoxyNZ on Sep 3, 2011
Credit: NIWA
Happy Feet was released at 10.30 am this morning, 49 miles due north of Campbell Island, at a depth of 285 metres.
The emperor penguin was released down a purpose-made 'hydro-slide' off the stern ramp of the vessel by Wellington Zoo, Manager of Veterinary Science, Dr Lisa Argilla and NIWA staff. Other options to release the Happy Feet, including using an inflatable boat, could not be used because of the weather.
Dr Argilla said the release went without a hitch.
"Happy Feet needed some gentle encouragement to leave the safety of his crate that has been his home for six days. He slid down his specially designed penguin slide backwards but once he hit the water he spared no time in diving off away from the boat and all those 'aliens' who have been looking after him for so long. He didn't even look back. No gratitude shown!"
"It's an indescribable feeling to see a patient finally set free! It's definitely the best part of the job," Dr Argilla said.
The NIWA team onboard were all out on deck to farewell their special passenger. "After an anxious moment when he disappeared from view, Happy Feet bobbed back up and to the cheers of the crew, looked around, ducked his head and swam away to the starboard side of the stern," says voyage leader Dr Richard O'Driscoll. "We are just happy to see him safely off on his journey home."
The team onboard Tangaroa will now continue their voyage on a month-long fisheries survey on Campbell Island southern blue whiting stocks. Happy Feet has been fitted with a Sirtrack satellite tracker and a microchip, thanks to the generous support of Gareth Morgan. Fans can follow his progress on the Wellington Zoo website (www.wellingtonzoo.com) Sirtrack website (www.sirtrack.com) and the Our Far South website (www.ourfarsouth.org).
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Uploader Comments (VoxyNZ)
Top Comments
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They should probably change his name to 'Happy Meal' now
6 months ago 16
All Comments (125)
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@Avexar He isn't from America!
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aww penguin
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im not an emotional person but i actually kinda teared up a bit @1:46 i know, really embarrassing- i thought this was pretty fucked up tho- and i was so pissed when he got released back in the wild. the bird didnt even want to go back- he's used to the company of humans and why couldnt they make him a zoo pet?!! WTF THERE ARE SO MANY ZOOS! vancouver aquarium? something!!! i have a lovebird and his name is gary- and god forbid if was ever released back in south africa he would die.
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@Skeetacious yah i know penguins can swim, but he got eaten up :(
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these people are fucking idiot. They were not even half way of where he was originally from and apparently he didn't want to leave, so they just kicked him out.
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He still alive ?
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He's not dead. The other penguins found him and disabled his transmitter, and right now he's on a top secret commando mission with Skipper, Private, Rico and Kowalski.
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@Skeetacious Yeah, I'm sure it is having a better life right now. Or is it? Chances are he's shark food now. There could definitely have been a better way to drop him off somewhere, but this way simply wasn't right. It looks so rushed and impromptu. How can you not see that it was frightened when it came out of the box, and certainly did not want to slide down?
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It cost a lot of money, and a lot of time trying to get through all the ice all the way up into the Antarctic, and poses a lot of risk for the boat and crew,
you know they can swim right?
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Better than spending the rest of it's life in a glass tank,
how else are you supposed to drop him off as close as you can to the Antarctic, toss him off the boat and onto ice?
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Why was my comment deleted? I pointed out @gretchjazzer was wrong and I can give proof. Uploader, seriously?
notagoodsitrep 6 months ago 5
@notagoodsitrep Hi - been going through the comments and trying to filter out anything that could be regarded as a personal attack. Apologies if your comment didn't fit into that category. No issue with arguing alternative points of view, just trying to keep comments at the 'healthy debate' level. Cheers Matt.
VoxyNZ 6 months ago