When the police call saying there have been multiple break-ins at your business, it’s usually cause for concern.
The owners of the Sushi Bi restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand, however, were surprised to discover shelter-seeking blue penguins as their intruders.
Known by the name kororā, which comes from the Maori language, the birds populate many regions throughout New Zealand and Australia and are famous for their blue plumage.
After being temporarily detained in the early hours of the morning by Constable John Zhu, the penguins were returned to Wellington Harbour, only a few blocks away from Sushi Bi. Later that evening the birds returned to the restaurant, perhaps in an effort to continue nesting there.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page, the Wellington District Police wrote: “We received a call about 8:40 p.m. on Saturday night of a penguin on the road in Featherston Street. Police responded and with some help from members of the public released the penguin, described as ‘little and blue’, back into the sea.”
It wasn’t the first time the blue penguins – considered at-risk in the region – were spotted wandering past the harbor.
The Department of Conservation had been notified of the birds’ presence in town earlier in the day. A pair had also been spotted nesting at a nearby railway station, and it hasn’t been determined whether these were the same birds loitering at the sushi spot.
Although the penguins’ pit stop was a happy surprise for the restaurants’ patrons, many of whom were quick to snap a photo, their appearance posed a safety issue.
No one was injured in this instance, but penguins do bite. Radio network RNZ New Zealand additionally reported that although attempts have been made to move the birds away from urban areas for their own safety, they haven’t been entirely successful.
For the time being, the Wellington community is grateful that their sushi-loving blue neighbors have been returned to their home.
The better way to see the creatures is from a distance; both the North and South islands offer sighting opportunities. And the charming university town of Dunedin offers guided tours for a chance to catch a penguin in action – or waddling as it were.