Perth Zoo nursing rare Rockhopper penguin, Pascale back to health after she was found in South West

One of the world’s rarest and cutest penguins is being rehabilitated at Perth Zoo after finding herself far away from home. The Perth Zoo vet team have been busy caring for rescued Northern Rockhopper penguin, Pascale, after she was found washed up on a beach in the South West. Rockhoppers are native to islands in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean so little Pascale was far from home when she was found. She was found with arrested mount — meaning she started her annual feather moult but it was interrupted. A Perth Zoo spokesman said this could have been due to poor environmental conditions or a lack of the right nutrients to keep her healthy. Unfortunately the disruption to this natural cycle means that after her lengthy rehabilitation she cannot be safely released back into the wild. Without human care, it is likely she would not have survived. The spokesman said the team have quickly become smitten with Pascale while caring for her as she is boisterous and full of personality. She is not afraid to tell nurses when her fish breakfast is late, often honking loudly at anyone who walks past her backyard and she loves nothing more than to preen in the shower. It comes after a male Rockhopper penguin named Pierre became an international media sensation when he was found and nursed back to health by Perth Zoo’s vet team. He has since travelled to his new home at a conservation zoo in Singapore. As Pascale is unable to return to the wild it is likely she will travel to Singapore to be matched with Pierre. The Perth Zoo spokesman said this wildlife saving work was possible with generous community support and donations.