If you are concerned about the welfare of a penguin, please contact WIRES on 1300 094 737 or Sydney Wildlife Rescue on 02 9413 4300.
Injured or dead little penguins should be taken to Taronga Wildlife Hospital at the end of Whiting Beach Road, Mosman, between 8 am and 3 pm, all year around. Call 02 9978 4785.
Keep the injured penguins in a lidded box, cool, quiet and away from pets. Do not offer any food or water.
If possible, dead penguins should be placed in a secure plastic bag and refrigerated (do not freeze).
This helps with the collection of tissue material to find out the cause of death.
Hurt or just moulting?
Each year little penguins moult and grow a new set of feathers to stay waterproof in the coming year. Moulting can take up to 17 days, which means that in this time penguins are not waterproof and must stay on land. They are unable to feed and are particularly vulnerable to disturbance and predation. This is, however, a natural part of their cycle and they should not be rescued.