Penguin Rescue
  • HOME
  • HOW CAN YOU HELP?
  • DONATE
  • JOIN
  • PURCHASE
  • CONTACT
  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  • LEARN
    • Video Tutorials
    • Yellow-eyed penguin biology
    • Penguin science
    • Rehabilitation
    • Advocacy and reports
    • Visitor impact on penguins
  • NEWS
    • Weekly News
    • Facebook news
    • Facebook archive
  • MEMBERS PAGE
  • HOME
  • HOW CAN YOU HELP?
  • DONATE
  • JOIN
  • PURCHASE
  • CONTACT
  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  • LEARN
    • Video Tutorials
    • Yellow-eyed penguin biology
    • Penguin science
    • Rehabilitation
    • Advocacy and reports
    • Visitor impact on penguins
  • NEWS
    • Weekly News
    • Facebook news
    • Facebook archive
  • MEMBERS PAGE
www.penguins.org.nz
​0211710832
Picture

Facebook news

From our scientist, Hiltrun Ratz, PhD
scientist@penguins.org.nz
Picture

Wotan, the God of Healing and Battle

17/3/2016

Comments

 
Our sponsors get to give the penguin they support a name of their choice and this one was named after the Germanic god Wotan, the god for healing, death, royalty, knowledge, battle and poetry. The Romans thought that Mercury was the closest equivalent god in their line-up and he is also known as Odin (or indeed in old-English Woden). 
Germanic legend has it that Wotan's wife is called Frigg. Our Wotan's wife eloped and found a new mate. So Wotan was a bit lonely this summer - although not for lack of trying. There were just no girls out there. 
Picture
In early February he was found with a wound on his hip and had a stint in rehab. That's when our kind sponsors stepped in and paid for his convalescence. He was healed and ready to moult (an impressive 8.1kg) so he was parked back near his home in the colony and we kept an eye on him. 
Almost 3 weeks later he was discovered hanging out with Mrs 80 (so named after her box number) who was also moulting but Wotan was not looking so good, a bit too thin for his stage of the moult (it is likely that his injuries cost him more energy during the moult, so he lost more weight than he would have otherwise). So he was collected up again and had a little top up for 5 days to get him over the last bit of moulting. 
The photo shows him in all his post-moult glory, weighing 5.9kg, ready to seriously chase Mrs 80 again and pry her away from Mr 80 - and then make her the new Mrs Wotan!! Let there be a happy ending with eggs in September!
Comments

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
​Te whaka oraka o te takaraka
PENGUIN RESCUE
Moeraki Lighthouse
RD2 Palmerston
North Otago 9842
+64211710832
​www.penguins.org.nz

Thank you to our sponsors;

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

HAMPDEN COMMUNITY ENERGY

AUSTIN COMPANY
Picture
Hugo Charitable Trust
Picture
Picture
Disclaimer
Picture
  • HOME
  • HOW CAN YOU HELP?
  • DONATE
  • JOIN
  • PURCHASE
  • CONTACT
  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  • LEARN
    • Video Tutorials
    • Yellow-eyed penguin biology
    • Penguin science
    • Rehabilitation
    • Advocacy and reports
    • Visitor impact on penguins
  • NEWS
    • Weekly News
    • Facebook news
    • Facebook archive
  • MEMBERS PAGE