As the only penguin of his type being cared for by a Zoo in Australasia, we are spending a lot of time with him, providing enrichment and ensuring his days are fulfilled. His welfare is out top priority, so to ensure he is able to still see and hear penguins of his type, we’ve started playing him rockhopper penguin documentaries and showing him live streams of the rockhopper penguins in international zoos – including those in Kansas City Zoo in the USA and Edinburgh Zoo in the UK. He’s also a fan of Pingu 😊which is on high rotation on his watch list.

Pierre is an endangered Northern Rockhopper Penguin who braved a record breaking swim from islands in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean before washing ashore on a beach in the South-west. 

He is experiencing feather moulting problems and is currently not waterproof so cannot be released to the wild but is receiving lots of TLC from the Perth Zoo veterinary team to get him back to full health. 

Rockhopper Penguins are one of the rarest penguins in the world. The global population is thought to be less than 240,300 breeding pairs. 

The species are known for their charismatic personalities and distinctive groucho marx eyebrows. Unlike other penguins which will slide around on ice on their bellies,  on land Rockhoppers prefer to hop about the rocky shores of their colony's grounds – hence their common name.

We are currently working with our international Zoo colleagues to find a suitable home to ensure he has company as he continues his rehabilitation.