Wellington: New Zealand conservation authorities picked up two rogue penguins near a burger joint in Wellington on Sunday, less than a month after penguins caused trouble at a nearby sushi bar.
Department of Conservation ranger Brent Tand told Radio New Zealand on Monday his team was called to collect two little blue penguins at the parking lot of a burger restaurant across from the railway station.
The birds were returned to the harbour, from which the flightless animals had to cross a busy five-lane road to reach the fast food outlet.
"They swam off happily so yeah, whether or not that's the last we see of them ... is another story but for now they're safely back at sea,"he told the broadcaster.
Two korora, also known as little blue penguins, were found plotting a nest a month ago at a sushi shop near the railway station. The pair was twice apprehended and even got a stern talking to by police.
Following the second apprehension, the penguins were placed in a specially designed nesting box with material such as twigs and grass to make them comfortable.
The world's smallest penguins, whose conservation status is "at risk," are no strangers to New Zealand's capital. While they are a rare sight in the central city there are estimated to be 600 pairs of little blues nesting on Matiu Somes Island in the middle of wellington Harbour. DPA
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