Remember Pierre the Northern Rockhopper Penguin? Well, we’re rehabilitating his future girlfriend!

One of the world’s rarest (and cutest) penguins is being rehabilitated at Perth Zoo.
 
Our vet team have been busy caring for rescued Northern Rockhopper Penguin, Pascale, after she was found washed up on a beach in our South-west.
 
Rockhopper’s are native to islands in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean, so poor little Pascale was quite far from home!
 
Pascale presented with arrested moult, which means she had started her annual feather moult, but it was interrupted. This could have been due to poor environmental conditions or a lack of the right nutrients to keep her healthy.

And unfortunately, the disruption to this natural cycle means that after her lengthy rehabilitation she cannot be safely released back into the wild. Without human care, it’s likely she wouldn’t have survived.

Considering Rockhoppers are one of the rarest penguin species, every individual counts!


Our teams have quickly become smitten with Pascale while caring for her – she’s a boisterous penguin full of personality.
 
She’s not afraid to tell her keepers when her fish breakfast is late, she’ll often honk loudly at anyone who walks past her backyard, and she loves nothing more than to preen in the shower.

In 2020, you might remember a male Rockhopper Penguin Pierre was rescued after finding himself in a similar situation. He had arrived to Perth Zoo looking pretty scruffy and underweight.
 
After plenty of TLC and a stint in his own special rehabilitation ward, he was transferred to his forever home as a bachelor at Singapore Zoo.

Our carers are now giving Pascale this same TLC and as she’s unable to return to the wild, it’s likely she’ll travel to Singapore to be matched with Pierre!

Stay tuned for more Pascale updates.
 

ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN FACTS
  • Northern Rockhopper Penguins are considered endangered, with only around 413,700 individuals estimated remaining in the wild.
  • Unlike other penguins who slide around on the ice on their bellies, Rockhoppers prefer to travel as their namesake suggests – hopping from rock to rock along the shores.   
  • They have a unique look thanks to the long yellow plumage that grows above their eyes. These are called crests!