It looks as if the Antarctic emperor penguin that made a 2,000-mile wrong turn and wound up in New Zealand is going to have to find its own way home.
The image of the lone penguin on the beach has captured hearts around the world, but wildlife officials in New Zealand said they were going to let "nature take its course" when it came to the penguin's survival.
This seemingly harsh solution has people asking why they the bird can't be rescued and brought home.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation told the Associated Press that transporting the penguin could spread infections if the penguin caught a disease from swimming through warmer climates. Attempting to return the bird to its colony in Antarctica could risk infecting the rest of the penguin population.
Logistically, the trip would also be extremely difficult, since it is winter in Antarctica, which means it is dark almost 24 hours a day. Attempting to travel there this time of year could be dangerous.
"Birds get lost. It happens all the time," Kevin McGowan at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology told ABCNews.com. "But it's natural that when something as charismatic as a penguin shows up, people want to help."
The instant celebrity has drawn television crews, photographers, school groups and artists to Peka Peka Beach on New Zealand's North Island. This is only the second time a wild emperor penguin has been spotted in New Zealand; the last time was in 1967.
ABC WORLD NEWS
