Penguin That Stopped Flights From Leaving NZ Released Back Into the Wild

While bidding farewell, the airport kindly reminded the penguin to avoid venturing near the runway again.

Reintroduction of a little blue penguin into the wild by Senior Zookeeper Kirsten Anderson and airport operations staff Tio Marriett in Wellington, New Zealand on Feb. 23, 2024. Mark Tantrum/ http://marktantrum.com

A little blue penguin, recognised as the world’s smallest penguin, has recovered and returned to its natural habit this week after he found himself on the runway of New Zealand’s Wellington International Airport.

The unexpected visitor was discovered waddling around in front of an Air Chathams flight on Jan. 26.