Penguin Found Walking The UK Streets After Escaping From Wildlife Centre
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Police in Nottinghamshire were in for a bit of a surprise this week when they came across a penguin walking the streets.
The little fella was spotted taking a night time stroll through Broxtowe after reportedly escaping from a local farm and wildlife centre.
Nottinghamshire Police posted some snaps on social media of the Humboldt penguin waddling along a road in the early hours of Sunday morning (16 August).
Fortunately, Police Constable Gareth Philip assured followers that 'Po-Po', as they had named him, made it home safely.
He said: "We were very surprised when we came across a penguin on our shift.
"We see some very interesting things while out on patrol, but a penguin walking up the middle of the road has to be one of the more bizarre findings we have come across.
"We nicknamed him Po-Po. He posed for some pictures with us and he was very friendly with our officers while we made contact with his owner.
"He was then safely returned home."
The Humboldt penguin was returned to their enclosure on a farm in Strelley, Notts.
Neighbourhood Inspector Gordon Fenwick, of Nottinghamshire Police, added: "Our officers are trained to deal with a variety of incidents with complex demands and it is great that we quickly reunited the penguin with their owner."
Earlier this year, a group of excitable penguins were let loose on an aquarium in America after the facility was closed to humans.
In a scene very reminiscent of the DreamWorks movie Madagascar, the little creatures were allowed to wander the aisles of the Chicago's Shedd Aquarium because no one else was around.
The zoo was closed at the time because of the coronavirus outbreak, with health authorities warning people against unnecessary or non-essential travel.
Shedd wrote on its social media pages: "Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd.
"Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising! The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor."
In another post, the aquarium added: "This morning, Edward and Annie explored Shedd's rotunda.
"They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season. Springtime is nesting season for penguins at Shedd, and this year is no different!
"While this may be a strange time for us, these days feel normal for animals at Shedd.
"Our caregivers are constantly providing new experiences for the animals to explore and express their natural behaviours with."
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
