Penguins cross busy Wellington highway to visit train station

Monday, 15 July 2019

Little blue penguins are visiting the Wellington Railway Station - but they're not going to catch the train. 

Instead the birds waddled across the busy State Highway One at Waterloo Quay to have a sleep under a food truck. 

Department of Conservation (DOC) Wellington operations manager Jack Mace said the penguins were expected to make their way back across Waterloo Quay on Tuesday morning. 

DOC were monitoring the situation and were on standby, he said.  

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'Motorists around Wellington train station should be aware there are little penguins in the area and should take extra care.'

The public should not handle the penguins, but give them space, and ask others to do the same, Mace said. 

DOC refused to provide their exact location to keep them safe.   

Little blue penguins are reasonably common in Wellington Harbour – there are estimated to be about 600 pairs nesting on Matiu Somes Island. 

However, their population has been declining in areas not protected from predators.

Where predator control is in place, populations have been stable or increasing.