Wayward penguin released south of New Zealand (AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – He needed a little push before speeding backward down a makeshift slide. Once in the water, he popped his head up for one last look. And then he was gone. The wayward emperor penguin known as "Happy Feet" was back home in Antarctic waters after an extended sojourn spent capturing hearts in New Zealand.

Happy Feet was released into the ocean south of New Zealand on Sunday, more than two months after he came ashore on a beach nearly 2,000 miles (3,000 kilometers) from home and became an instant celebrity.

Speaking from a satellite phone aboard the research vessel Tangaroa, Wellington Zoo veterinarian Lisa Argilla said Happy Feet's release went remarkably smoothly given that the boat was being tossed about in 25-foot (8-meter) swells in the unforgiving Antarctic ocean.

Argilla said crew members from the boat carried the penguin inside his custom-built crate to the stern of the ship for his final send-off about 50 nautical miles (90 kilometers) north of remote Campbell Island. The crew had already cut the engines and put in place a canvas slide that they soaked with water from a hose.

But when they opened the door of the crate, the penguin showed no interest in leaving.

"I needed to give him a little a tap on his back," Argilla said.

The penguin slipped down the slide on his stomach, bottom first, she said. He resurfaced about 6 feet (2 meters) from the boat, took a look up at the people aboard, and then disappeared beneath the surface.

"I was really happy to see him go," Argilla said. "The best part of my job is when you get to release animals back into the wild where they are supposed to be."

The 3-foot-tall (meter-tall) aquatic bird was found June 20 on Peka Peka Beach, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of New Zealand's capital, Wellington. It had been 44 years since an emperor penguin was last spotted in the wild in New Zealand.

At first, conservation authorities said they would wait and let nature take its course with the penguin. But it soon became clear the bird's condition was deteriorating, as he scooped up beaks full of sand and swallowed, likely mistaking it for snow, which emperor penguins eat for its moisture when in Antarctica.

With the world watching, authorities finally took action, moving the penguin to the Wellington Zoo four days after he was discovered.

At the zoo, the 3 1/2-year-old bird underwent numerous stomach flushing procedures to remove sand from his digestive system. He was given a makeshift home in a room that zoo staff kept filled with a bed of ice so he wouldn't overheat.

A local television station, TV3, set up a webcam and streamed images of the bird around-the-clock. Soon, Happy Feet had a quarter-million followers.

And, perhaps befitting of a bird from the Internet age, those followers will be able to keep track of him for a while longer. Happy Feet has been fitted with a GPS tracker, and his movements will be posted online. Argilla expects the tracker to fall off the next time the bird molts.

Argilla said the final boat journey, which began last Monday and ran into terrible weather, was difficult for her — she got seasick — and the crew. The one who seemed least bothered, she said, was Happy Feet, who rolled with the swells, slept standing up and took nips at the crew when they fed him fresh fish.

Now that Happy Feet has been nursed back to health, Argilla said his chances are as good as they are for any other penguin in the wild.

"He swam away, not caring about us anymore," Argilla said.

She paused.

"And that's a good thing," she said.

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To keep track of Happy Feet's movements, go to http://www.wellingtonzoo.com/

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Stranded penguin moved to NZ zoo, set for surgery (AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A stranded emperor penguin was moved to a zoo Friday and scheduled for surgery as the young bird's health worsened in the New Zealand winter that is much warmer than its species' Antarctic home.

The penguin appeared healthy after it was first spotted Monday but has appeared more lethargic as the week progressed, and officials feared it would die if they didn't intervene.

The penguin has been eating sand and small sticks of driftwood on North Island's Peka Peka Beach. It may have mistaken sand for snow, which it eats for hydration in the Antarctic climate where emperors usually spend their entire lives.

Wellington Zoo staff said the bird was dehydrated and suffering heat exhaustion. High temperatures in Wellington recently have been about 50F (10 Celsius).

Zoo vet science manager Lisa Argilla said the bird was spirited and zoo staff didn't want it to suffer. They manually tried to clear debris from the bird's throat, but it still seemed to blocked, so the staff scheduled surgery for Saturday.

"I'm hoping its just a piece of driftwood that we can reach down and pull out," Argilla told the Dominion Post newspaper.

For the penguin's journey to the zoo, three experts lifted it from the beach into a tub of ice and then onto the back of a truck for the 40-mile (65-kilometer) trip, said one of the participants, Colin Miskelly, a curator at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand.

Ideally, the bird will heal enough it could be released into the wild. But returning it to Antarctica, about 2,000 miles (3,200-kilometers) away, wasn't feasible. There is no transportation to the continent in the harsh winter.

Miskelly also noted no facilities in New Zealand were designed to house an emperor penguin long-term. It's the tallest and largest penguin species and can grow up to 4 feet (122 centimeters) high and weigh more than 75 pounds (34 kilograms).

Often sick birds require rehabilitation for a month or two before being released, zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker said, adding that some creatures with severe injuries remain in captivity.

The rare venture north by the Antarctic species captured public imagination. Sightseers came to the beach to see the bird and photograph it from a distance.

Christine Wilton, the local resident who discovered the penguin Monday while walking her dog, was back at the beach Friday to say goodbye.

"I'm so pleased it's going to be looked after," she said. "He needed to get off the beach. He did stand up this morning, but you could tell that he wasn't happy."

The penguin is estimated to be about 10 months old and is about 32 inches (80 centimeters) high. Experts haven't yet determined whether it is male or female.

It has been 44 years since an emperor penguin was last spotted in New Zealand.

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