Penguin that made dash for freedom into open sea found safe: ‘It’s a miracle’

Its keepers thought bird had no survival skills to navigate wild waters

A penguin that escaped from captivity and paddled to freedom two weeks ago was found safe and sound, despite its keeper insisting the bird had no survival skills to navigate wild waters.

The return of Pen-chan, a female Cape penguin, was a “miracle”, said Ryosuke Imai, its keeper at Gekidan Penters, a group that organises animal encounters.

The rebellious penguin escaped on 25 August from an event on the Himaka Island in Tokoname in Aichi prefecture in Japan.

It had never swum in the open sea before, its keeper said, and never fended for itself given a life in captivity.

The penguin reportedly escaped after being put in the shallows for visitors, enclosed by a net. It appeared to have swum through a gap in the enclosure after reportedly becoming startled.

The keeper assumed that it would not survive for long. But the fugitive penguin did. It was found nearly two weeks later, happily bobbing in the beach waters almost 45km from where it had gone absconding.

The keeper said the bird possibly caught fish and crabs to survive.

“I’m surprised at the penguin’s physical ability and adaptability,” Mr Ryosuke was quoted as saying by the Kyoto News.

Mr Ryosuke, 29, had sent out a search team after the six-year-old bird swam away.

Pen-chan, a female Cape penguin born and raised in captivity, slunk off on 25 August 2024 in the central Aichi region (Getty)

The team was hampered due to a typhoon and heavy rains in the region.

Mr Ryosuke said he felt “desperate” for the bird. On 8 September, Pen-chan was spotted cheerfully floating on the water.

The bird was recaptured.

“I thought she would look exhausted, but she was swimming as usual,” the keeper said.

“It was beyond my surprise. It’s a miracle.”

“I think she got there by stopping at various places for a break, but it’s still unbelievable. She lost her weight slightly, but she’s doing great.”

It was unclear if Pen-chan was happy to be back in captivity.