When thinking of penguins I am sure we all have the same image that comes to mind. An adorable little creature that looks like it is wearing a tuxedo and does a cute little wobble. While the majority of penguins we see today are mainly black, a wildlife organization has recently made an interesting discovery. They have found a rare all white penguin, but the poor thing was underweight and dehydrated.
Wildlife Organization Discovers Rare All White Penguin
On March 30, The Wildlife Welfare Organization in Goolwa, Australia made a fascinating discovery. They stumbled across a rare all white penguin. However, they could only marvel at its coloring for a few moments before they needed to take action. Not only did this penguin have all white feathers, but it was clear that its health was suffering.
They shared in a Facebook post that the penguin, who they later named Pearl, was found "quite underweight and dehydrated." So, while they were thrilled at their new discovery, they felt anything but celebratory given the state of the poor bird. In a Facebook post, the organization shared what gives this penguin its coloring.
They wrote, "Leucism is a genetic peculiarity, due to a recessive gene which gives the white colour to fur or feathers. This is different to albinism where the feathers are pure white and the eye has no colour - usually pink or blue." From there they promise that they will do all that they can to help this little creature pull through. Given the fact that this is the first leucistic penguin the organization has every seen, everyone is keen on keeping it alive and well.
An Update On Pearl
Two days ago the Wildlife Welfare Organization shared an update on Pearl on Facebook. While they claimed that she is "not out of the woods yet" and that people should not "uncross your fingers just yet," she seems to be doing much better. They wrote, "She is having a quick photo shoot today, to show you how well she is doing."
In the short video shared ons social media the penguin looks a bit fuller and more alert. She is calm in the arms of her handler and seems to be looking around the room curiously. We are all crossing our fingers (as asked) in hopes that Pearl continues to improve and lives a long, healthy life.
