This little blue penguin was discovered all by himself on a New Zealand beach and unable to speak to those passing by to beg them to respect his space, but a few thoughtful people stepped up and posted that crucial message on his behalf.
Jeff Mein Smith tells Stuff.co.nz that he’d first noticed the tiny flightless bird standing in the sand while passing by a stretch of coast on his bike in Christchurch. Evidently, he was not the only one. A crowd had gathered around, and apparently some of the people weren’t doing a good job restraining their dogs.
Upon returning to the spot later on, Smith discovered that a couple had planted a cardboard placard next to the penguin to deter people from getting too close, or letting their pets bother him.
The sign read: “Hi, I’m waiting for my mum to come back. [New Zealand’s Department of Conservation] knows I’m here. Please leave me alone. *Keep your dog away. Thanks, Billy the baby blue penguin.”
Conveniently, the penguin stayed nearby, demonstrating that the sign was speaking for him.
It was quite adorable.
Wildlife authorities concluded that Billy the penguin was probably too old to still be a dependant at the age of about two months, despite the possibility that he was waiting for his mother to come back. They intervened to help the small bird the following day.
It turns out that he or she actually did require it.
Billy was found to weigh just 550 grams — 350 grams short of what is considered a healthy weight. But the bird’s new caretakers at Christchurch Penguin Rehabilitation are now providing plenty of food to turn things around.
With any luck, in the next few weeks, Billy will be big and strong enough to be released back into the wild.
The tiniest penguins in the planet, the little blue penguin, are a protected species in New Zealand. Billy’s sign is especially appropriate because the Department of Conservation advises citizens to keep the birds safe by keeping a safe distance and refraining from letting their dogs annoy them.
And even though it might not be obvious, Billy is undoubtedly appreciative of that good act.
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