Penguin On A British Beach?

Status: Undetermined
image A penguin might have recently visited a British beach near Yarmouth. Jean Edwards claims to have seen the penguin standing on the beach, and she took a photo of it with her mobile phone. But wildlife experts are skeptical that it really is a penguin. After all, penguins live at the South Pole, so it would be a long way for one to travel. And no local zoos have reported any penguins missing.

Kieran Copeland, animal care manager at Hunstanton Sealife Sanctuary, speculated that it might be a guillemot (though he can't explain why the guillemot would have its winter plumage): "The beak does not look right for a penguin, it looks way too thin, and I am not convinced. It looks a lot more like a guillemot, but the dark colour would more correspond to its winter plumage, and it's the wrong time of the year."

Coincidentally, a penguin seen wandering along the banks of the river Thames was the theme of The Sun's April Fool's Day joke this year. But I doubt that the bird seen by Mrs. Edwards has anything to do with The Sun's joke. (via The Anomalist)

Animals

Posted on Sun Jul 23, 2006



Comments

Not all penguins are in Antarctica. They have them in the Galapagos Islands, on the equator, as well as South Africa. Both those places are still a long way from the UK though.

I would say this report must be false because even in the most unusual circumstances possible, it's doubtful a penguin could reach Europe on it's own alive.
Posted by Captain Al  on  Sun Jul 23, 2006  at  12:40 PM
Well, the penguin is real, but the beach is obviously photoshopped. Besides, if you look real close the light source angle on the gun is different than on his head. Also, I think I've seen that sky before... looks like Delaware to me, but I'm no expert, I just lived there for a while, so why ask me? Leave me alone for the love of God, and turn down that music, dammit, I'm trying to sleep
Posted by Hairy Houdini  on  Sun Jul 23, 2006  at  01:26 PM
I don't really buy it. It does remind me though, of whenI was on my honeymoon - I saw a small flock of flamingos sitting in the middle of some farmer's field in the middle of Wisconsin. Hubby didn't believe me, so I made him drive back to have a look for himself. Sure enough they were still there, and they were nice and pink so they had some sort of access to shrimp. By the next day, however, they were gone.
Posted by Winona  on  Sun Jul 23, 2006  at  09:21 PM
Winona, were they plastic by any chance?
Posted by The Curator  in  San Diego  on  Mon Jul 24, 2006  at  08:21 AM
Winona's flamingos were probably real. Laramie, Wyoming, has seagulls every summer (I think they come from the Great Salt Lake, Utah, flocks), and there is a lake in North Dakota that has pelicans every summer.
Posted by Yvonne  on  Mon Jul 24, 2006  at  09:43 AM
Alex, nope, they were moving around and having an apparent great time. 😊
Posted by Winona  on  Mon Jul 24, 2006  at  10:25 AM
Well, there are penguins on the Falklands, and the Falklands are British. Therefore there are Penguins on British beaches! Q.E.D.
Posted by Nadine  on  Tue Jul 25, 2006  at  12:54 AM
Sorry, I forgot the link:
http://www.tourism.org.fk/
Posted by Nadine  on  Tue Jul 25, 2006  at  12:55 AM
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