Hand-reared Noorook thrives in centre’s penguin colony

Despite being abandoned by its parents, Penguin Island’s first handraised little penguin has thrived, according to Discovery Centre interpretation officer Jane Dawson.

Mrs Dawson said the 12-week-old bird — called Noorook after the Aboriginal word for egg — had been happily integrated into the centre’s penguin colony.

“Noorook has definitely been successfully integrated into the colony — all of the penguins feel quite safe in the centre and are used to people,” she said.

“Most of them have been bred here, but Noorook was the first one we had ever had to step in and hand raise.”

Mrs Dawson said the centre’s only female penguin, called Geri, and her partner Skip, had failed to care for the newly hatched little penguin and staff were forced to make a decision on whether it was in his best interests to intervene.

She said the tiny bird was fed fish smoothies until he was strong enough to join his friends.