Penguin a TV star

Press, 9 April 1981, Page 1

Penguin a TV star

Thousands of Australian schoolchildren will receive a lesson from the warden of the Christchurch Botanic, Gardens, Mr Jim Baggstrom, because of a chance conversation with a Queensland television crew this week. But the star of the lesson will be Sammy, a confused erect-crested penguin which has been nursed by Mr Baggstrom for more than three weeks.

The young male penguin was given to him by a family which feared for the penguin’s safety . on Pines Beach, where it might have been molested by dogs. Identification was the first problem because the penguin was going through its first moult and its colours were riot clear-

ly visible. After much research, the penguin was found to belong to the er e c t-crested • species, which is normally found at the Bounty Islands. Mr Baggstrom said that he had cared for stray penguins before “but never one this size.” At first Sammy was weak and under stress and kept falling down. But a diet of meat and egg yolks and now two herrings at each sitting, with iodised water, has brought him bac.'- to normal in all but one respect. Sammy now looks on Mr Baggstrom as his father. Earlier this week Mr Baggstrom tried to set his charge free at the seaside but after a few aimless swims the penguin

jumped out of the surf and came back to him. Mr Baggstrom said that the penguin was very affectionate. “When I am sitting down he will come up and nave a peck at my legs: he likes a cuddle too,” he said. In the Botanic Gardens this week Mr Baggstrom talked with a Queensland television crew which is making educational films to be distributed to about 1000 schools in Australia. The crew visited his property and filmed the work that he did with animals. Sammy proved to be a competent actor. An attempt will be made to match Sammy with another penguin which has been sighted at Purau.