Visitors to Taronga Zoo may notice a very different penguin among the Little Penguins on display. His name is Mr Munro and he’s the only Fiordland Crested Penguin to be cared for by a Zoo anywhere in the world.
Mr Munro made news headlines after he was found sick and drastically underweight following a heroic 2000km swim from New Zealand. He was found on Hargraves Beach at Norah Head in November 2006 and was brought to Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital to be nursed back to health.
Zoo visitors have recently been surprised to discover Mr Munro walking throughout the Zoo grounds as part of his exercise routine. Zoo keepers use the opportunity to educate visitors about the threats facing the Fiordland Penguin, such as climate change and introduced predators, and to let people see the uniqueness of this species.
Taronga has high hopes for Mr Munro as a possible breeding bird, as there are fewer than 1000 breeding pairs left in the wild.
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