Hundreds flocking to see Happy Feet - Stuff

Animal lovers eager to get a glimpse of the county's only celebrity penguin have flooded to Wellington Zoo, boosting visitor numbers by almost half.

Emperor penguin Happy Feet was found on Peka Peka Beach five weeks ago and, after becoming ill from eating sand, he has been operated on and kept in his own 2 degree air-conditioned room full of party ice in the zoo's hospital.

Related story: Happy feet hits the pool

"We had a big day yesterday with around 1600 people coming through,'' Wellington Zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker said.

Usual visitor numbers for the same period were about 1100.

"I think that boost could be attributed to him.''

Yesterday was the biggest day of the busy school holiday period and the first day Happy Feet could definitely be seen by the public.

"We've made it clear throughout that we can't promise people they'll see Happy Feet. He's here for treatment and rehab. But yesterday he had some procedures done so people were able to see him."

When Happy Feet went for a swim on Monday, the city's coldest day since records began, visitors were treated to an impromptu glimpse.

"We put the news about him going for a swim on the website about half an hour before and lots of people came down which was awesome."

It was unlikely he would be going for another swim for awhile.

"If we had another really cold day we could do it, but it needs to be below 5 degrees for that to happen."

The Conservation Department is planning to return him to the sea next month from a boat off the Bluff coast.

Happy Feet is the first known emperor penguin to swim the more than 3000km to New Zealand from Antarctica in 44 years.

- The Dominion Post


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