Penguins have always been the outliers of the bird family, counting themselves among the few members of the Chordata phylum that are unable to fly.
They more than compensate for what penguins lack in flight in their natural swimming abilities. At least, that’s how it is supposed to be. That wasn’t the case for one baby Humboldt penguin named Natalia.
Found in Punta Hermosa Beach off Lima, Peru, Natalia was orphaned and scared. While some public tried to urge the penguin back into the water, she kept washing up onshore.
That was when Carlos at Orcarion stepped in, rescuing her for rehabilitation and release into the wild. At first, the results weren’t looking good. Natalia showed a strong negative response toward the water.
Carlos reached out to Peter, a wildlife expert for Mutual of Omaha’s Wildlife Kingdom. He suggested introducing her to a small pool and bribing her with fish to help build a positive association with the water.
It took time, but gradually Natalia began to grow more comfortable. They brought in a medium-sized pool for her, and for the first time, Natalia got in all on her own.
After 15 days of rehabilitation, Natalia met another rescued penguin, Rosita. The two were immediately close, and the team determined the two were ready to be released back into the ocean to continue their penguin lives where they belonged.
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