By 3news.co.nz staff
Stranded Emperor penguin Happy Feet has a brand new container for his trip back to the subantarctic – and a brand new toy to keep him amused while he waits.
Happy Feet is due to return home on August 29, heading south on a NIWA research vessel, so construction has begun on a special travel enclosure where he will spend around four days before being released down the back ramp of the vessel.
The enclosure will be large enough for the penguin to stand, lift his beak, and turn around in.
But something else caught Happy Feet's attention yesterday - his own reflection.
Two mirrors have been installed in his Wellington Zoo enclosure for mental stimulation.
Yesterday, the zoo put in the second, and since then, Happy Feet has spent most of the day looking at himself.
Turns out he prefers the full-length mirror.
Vets say the mirrors are good for honing his social skills, which he'll need back with his own kind in Antarctica.
3 News