Flight Delayed In New Zealand After Penguin Waddles Its Way Into Airport

Penguins are among the most adorable flightless avian species. While they are known for wandering in groups, hunting and residing in large colonies, people absolutely love the sea birds. At a time when there is an endless amount of animal-related content on the internet, only a few of them have the potential to uplift our spirits instantly. Among them is a post that is spreading smiles on social media. Witnessed at the Wellington Airport, the social media post depicts how a penguin paid a surprise visit to passengers, right before their flight was about to take off.

The incident took place at the Wellington International Airport in New Zealand when an Air Chathams flight was about to take off. However, it got delayed due to the unexpected visitor on the runway. As soon as the pilot spotted a blue-coloured penguin in the middle of the runway, airport officials were immediately informed, who quickly came to its aid and took it back to safety.

A post shared by Wellington Airport (@wellingtonairport)

The incident was also shared on the official Instagram handle of Wellington Airport along with a picture of the cute blue penguin.

According to the post, while the airport authorities helped move the penguin to a safe place, the pilot and the passengers also waited patiently. “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!,” the post read.

In the end, the authorities informed that the penguin was relocated to the Wellington Zoo where it was recovering, further adding, “We have done some penguin proofing to our fences to keep our flippered friends out of trouble in future.”

In the meantime, the first picture shows the adorable penguin wrapped in towels after being rescued from the airport, while the second photo shows the little bird sitting in the lap of an official.

According to The Stuff report, a Wellington Zoo spokesperson while speaking about the incident said that the penguin was just six weeks old when it was found.

“After its discovery, the little one had to go on X-rays and blood work and was put on a weight gain diet that includes fish,” the spokesperson said further adding 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.