Back in June we told you about an emperor’s penguin’s surprise visit to New Zealand.

Since then the penguin, named Happy Feet, has been getting up to all sorts. After being left alone on the beach in the hope that he would return to the sea, Happy Feet started eating the sand and became sick. Penguins when they are too hot will often eat ice to cool themselves and it is guessed this is what he was attempting to do with the sand.

Photo courtesy of Hamish Coleman-Ross from Stuff

He was taken to Wellington Zoo to have his stomach pumped to get rid of the sand. It was touch and go for a while, but he did eventually start to get better and gain weight. Left is a picture of the penguin being treated at the Zoo.

He is being kept in an ice filled room at the zoo whilst air conditioning experts investigate how to cool down a salt water pool so Happy Feet can swim comfortably in it until he is returned to sub-Antarctic waters. With a cold blast of weather hitting New Zealand in the past few days the temperature in the outdoor pool naturally cooled for Happy Feet to take his first swim yesterday, as shown in the photo left.

You can watch a live stream of Happy Feet whilst he is in Wellington Zoo here.