This juvenile is approximately 2-3 years old and was found by beach goers on Goolwa Beach last week. Luckily for him he was removed from the beach as the tide was coming in fast and taken to safety thanks to the Department for Environment and Natural Resource – Officers from Dry Creek who worked closely with AMWRRO to coordinate this successful rescue.
Little Josh with his infected flipper
Josh unfortunately sustained a significant trauma to his front left flipper which saw approximately 7 inches of skin flapping around and that was extremely infected. He was unable to apply pressure to this flipper hence making it extremely difficult to walk and forage for food. Josh came in at 15kg (extremely emaciated) and is currently undergoing treatment for his wounds.
Flippers crossed we can pull him through and a special thank you to all those who found him, raised the alarm and assisted with his rescue.
Meet Ashley – a Sub-Antarctic fur seal that washed up on Glenelg beach last Friday morning. This sub adult is approximately 6-8 years old and is somewhat underweight weighing in at only 64.4kg he will be kept in care pending blood results and if all is ok he will be released next weekend!
He is currently eating 10-13kg of fish and squid per day and flippers crossed he gets the all clear for release in the near future.
After speaking with one of the most experienced penguin experts in Australia – Ken Simpson; regarding our feathered friend Kym – it is now confirmed that this little bird is in fact a Moseley Rockhopper Penguin – Eudyptes moseleyi.
These amazing birds are from both St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands west of Perth – approximately half way between Perth and South Africa and this little one is the only recorded “juvenile” to have hit South Australian shores since 2000.
These amazing swimmers arrive on Australian shores in late June to early July each year but rarely are they as young as this! The adults that do make it to Australia moult and once finished and water proof once again they take to the oceans and return to their home lands for breading.
Unfortunately, not one juvenile bird as young as this has ever been recorded as successfully saved and returned to the wild. Flippers crossed we can rewrite the record books once again…
