Penguin waddles its way onto Wellington Airport runway, delays flight
After the penguin was rescued from the runway, it was taken to Wellington Zoo, where it was put on a diet and was recovering.
An Air Chathams flight was all set to take off from Wellington International Airport, New Zealand. However, it was abruptly delayed due to an unusual and adorable visitor- a penguin. Yes, you read that right. After a pilot spotted the blue-coloured penguin in the middle of the tarmac, airport officials quickly came to its aid and took it to safety.
The official Instagram handle of the Wellington Airport shared about the incident. They wrote, “Found on the runway: a very unusual little visitor! A pilot was about to take off on January 12th when they spotted this little kororä (blue penguin). (Also Read: Virgin Atlantic flight cancelled after passenger makes horrifying discovery on plane's wing)
The pilot and passengers patiently waited while Wellington Airport staff raced out to collect and help the visitor. Our runway sensors were reading 50 degrees at the time, so it's no wonder they weren't particularly happy!”
At the end of the post, they also informed, that the penguin was relocated to Wellington Zoo, where it was recovering.
Take a look at the post here:
This post was shared a day ago on Instagram. Since then, it has received numerous likes.
A Wellington Zoo spokesperson told The Stuff that the penguin was just six weeks old when it was found. After the incident, the little one has undergone x-rays, and blood work and put on a weight gain diet that includes fish. The spokesperson also said that the adult feathers of the fledglings have now grown, and the team plans to release the penguin into the wild once the feathers are waterproof.
