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Subscribe to RSSA one-year-old penguin from Tokyo Sea Life Park made his escape earlier this week sparking a city-wide search after squeezing through a fence. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Sometimes regular meals and the companionship of scores of other penguins just aren't enough. Penguin Number 337 seems to have decided something was missing from life at a Tokyo aquarium and took off.
The one-year-old Humboldt penguin scaled a rock wall and squeezed through a fence during a daring bid for freedom some time in the past week, sparking a penguin hunt that included a city-wide call for information on the tubby fugitive.
Tokyo Sea Life Park, on the shores of Tokyo Bay, was alerted to the escape of the bird, known only by its number, after receiving a photograph on Sunday that supposedly showed it swimming in the bay.
'Yearning for adventure'
Kazuhiro Sakamoto, the park's deputy director, thinks it may have been a case of happy feet.
"The penguin hatched last year on January 27, so it is still a very young penguin," Sakamoto said.
"We think that because of its young age, it might have escaped due to its curiosity and yearning for adventure."
The bird, still too young for keepers to determine whether it was male or female, shared life at a rocky outdoor enclosure with a view of the sea with 135 other Humboldts and a number of penguins of other breeds. Humboldts grow to 22-28 inches long and can weigh up to 13 pounds.
Animal Tracks: Penguin on the loose
But getting out would have been far from simple.
"There's a man-made rock wall that varies between 4 to 13 feet high. After somehow climbing over it and getting out, it appears the penguin managed to squeeze through a gap in the outer fence," Sakamoto said.
Worries over dirty sea water
Worried that the penguin might have strayed out to sea, keepers issued a Tokyo-wide call for tips on the feathered fugitive and are making regular patrols along the shoreline in front of the aquarium, staring out to sea with binoculars.
Visitors said they were worried about the bird. The area around the aquarium, which sits where the Edo River empties into the bay, consists of high-rise apartment buildings and concrete, with a highway looping overhead.
"The sea water around here is very dirty, so unless the penguin is returned to safety quickly it may die," said Hiroki Kasai, a university student.
Others felt it may have gone in search of more salubrious living quarters, noting that the penguin enclosure was much more cramped than its natural habitat.
Sakamoto said the waters of the bay were full of fish so the penguin was unlikely to starve -- but that it was also unlikely to head for Peru or Chile, the ancestral home of Humboldts.
"It's a type of penguin that tends to stay close to shore, but I also think it would not be able to cross all of that wide ocean."
The Tokyo Aquarium is searching for a penguin known as No. 337 after the bird scaled a rock wall and escaped. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.
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Leave a Comment:
Is this the part where the penguin says 'give me liberty or give me death!' I suppose they will discover a dead zoo guard and blame it on prisoner #337. Wanted dead or alive!
Haha.... Penguins ARE crafty little creatures.
I hope this little guy is safe! I'm no fan of zoos, but he (?) was born and raised in the aquarium. I'm sure he has no idea of the dangers that await him. I am truly amazed at his ability to scale walls with his flippers. Shoot, I'm a fully functional human with all my limbs and opposing thumbs and I'd have problems. A part of me wants to cheer him on for his daring escape and the other part is hoping they find him and return him to safety. Oh, and I shall name him 'Sucre' after the hottie in Prison Break. Be safe little Sucre!
OUGHTA name it BEAT FEET! It'll be happy!
Another example of how animals have emotions too.This poor guy lived in jail, looked out on the sea everyday, and made a dash for freedom. Death may be his price, but, hey, he made it out. FREE!!!
I dig this thought! You are right.
Did it belong to Mr. Popper?
Lord, I was born a travelin' ma-an. Call the little guy Allman.
those penguins knew that there brothers and sister where coming up missing and ain't no sharks around! uhmmmmmmmmm!
Run Forest, Run.
those penguins saw "Roots".
Like the nicknames Papillon the Penguin and BEAT FEET. Sure their is danger in the wild. Where would you rather be? Living in a big, overcrowded cage or swimming freely in the sea which you can see everyday but can't touch. Hope they never catch him. You can't understand happiness until you experience sadness. I think #337 was fedup with the sadness. Maybe, he/she will really enjoy herself/himself for a day or a week or longer, and no matter what, that time will be worth more than spending your life in sadness!
Like every nun I have ever met - scaling the walls of the convents. Sheesh. I hope she stays free! Go free, little penguin, go free away to mate and procreate!
Mate and procreate with what? This is now the only wild penguin in Japan. The closest other penguins of the same species are all the way across the Pacific in South America and this breed doesn't do long ocean voyages. It's only chance to mate and procreate is if it goes back to the zoo.
Ooooo it would be nice to know he made it!! We'll only know if he was found, if who ever finds him doesnt keep him for whatever weird reason. But to think he made it "home".... Poor little guy :)
Or gal. Funny how most people seem to assume it is male, when the article clearly stated they didn't know what sex it was yet because it was too young to tell. And 'home' for it is the zoo, it was hatched there.
Has Catwoman been seen in the area? Time to call Batman!!
Penguin 'scales a wall'? Something 'fishy' here. #337 must have had an accomplice in his escape. Hey, how tall are you? 3 feet? You one dam tall penguin! Here, stand over against this wall, and I will climb up on you to measure your exact height. That's it, very good. Yes, I know I'm standing on your head, and you are right, you are 3 feet tall. Here, is that better? ... Accomplice; Where did ya go? ... Shutup, be quiet. Give this dvd to my momma. BORN FREE!
Most animals are pretty smart and from what I have observed in my life they do have feelings just like us "humans" -you go girl-er boy! Unfortunate it is the pig that is most like humans. They crap where they lie, push others out of their way to eat or drink and without mercy pick on a smaller or sick one till they kill it.
You would think the zoo would know no cage can hold #337 after it broke out of Alcatraz! They never learn!
LOL
Sounds like a perfect script for yet another cute penguin movie for the little ones.
I see a childeren's book coming--unfortunately the shark infested water doesn't lead to a happy ending!
come join me my brothers and sister lets make war with humans.
I wish him the very best and hope his enjoys every moment of his freedom. When people tell me they are going to the zoo, I ask them to say hello to the prisoners for me. Zoos are such sad places.
Big deal my kids had a hamster like this, found him on US95 once with holding a sign "Miami or Bust!"
Well I say "cheers for #337" Could be his life will be shortened but he is having a wonderful adventure.
Run 337, run!!!
Now all the penguin needs to do is commandeer a boat, sail it to Antarctica, and then utter in his own language "this sucks"....
"Other penguin breeds"? No, SPECIES. As for this little guy/gal, just goes to show that if you don't know you're not supposed to be able to do something, you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. Of course, you might not realize where it'll get you!
All joking aside, zoos are an abomination of modern man.