Little penguin Peppa fighting fit after rescue from rough Albany surf

Fuzzy, feisty little penguin Peppa is in good hands after being rescued from rough surf last week, an ordeal which has offered a timely reminder to keep an eye out for baby penguins on Albany beaches this summer.

Peppa was rescued by beachgoers on Friday, weighing just 350g, after it was spotted floundering at the edge of the surf at Muttonbird Beach.

It is now in the hands of experienced WA Seabird Rescue Albany co-ordinator Carol Biddulph, who says the little bird is fighting fit.

Ms Biddulph said she believed the penguin had been swept off Shelter Island by strong tides.

“It’s not far, but for a little bird that’s compromised it’s a big swim and probably its first swim,” she said.

“They are feisty little characters at the best of times so even though it was very underweight it’s got a lot of character.

“When the people found Peppa it was saturated because it still has a lot of its baby, fluffy feathers and is only partially through its first moult, so it wasn’t waterproof.”

Peppa will now be cared for by Ms Biddulph for about a month.

“We will need to at least double its weight, wait until the moult is complete and all those baby feathers are gone,” she said,

Ms Biddulph said Peppa served as a reminder to look out for little penguins and northern rock-hopper penguins on Albany beaches from December to February.