Red, the rescued Little Penguin, was ready to get back into the ocean to celebrate this year’s Penguin Awareness Day on January 20.

The Little Penguin was found on Phillip Island (Millowl) about a month ago, malnourished and in poor health. We are delighted to share the good news that he gained weight and grew his waterproof feathers under the care of the dedicated rangers at Phillip Island Nature Parks’ Wildlife Clinic. After some swimming practice, extra food and getting a clean bill of health, Red was released back into the wild.

Each year, the Nature Parks’ Wildlife Clinic treats around 150 Little Penguins just like Red – relying on donations from generous Penguin Foundation supporters to continue this vital work.

There’s no sign of slowing down, with the most recent population count finding that Phillip Island’s much-loved colony has reached around 40,000 Little Penguins.

The island’s penguins found worldwide fame on the small screen last year, with more than 25 million lockdown-weary penguin lovers tuning into the daily Penguin TV broadcast.

To celebrate Penguin Awareness Day, rangers hosted a special edition of Penguin Live TV which can be viewed via the Phillip Island Nature Parks Facebook page and Little Red's Rehabilitation and release video is certainly worth a watch on the Phillip Island Nature Parks YouTube Channel.

People can support the Wildlife Clinic’s lifesaving work by donating or adopting a Little Penguin through the Penguin Foundation. The Foundation is grateful for your support - stories such as Little Red's highlight the direct and meaningful impact of donor support. Please click here for more information on how to contribute to the Penguin Foundation - Learn, Discover and Protect.