SharkTums Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051220/ap_on_re_eu/toga_the_penguin This is kind of sad: BY DAVID STRINGER, Associated Press Writer LONDON - A baby penguin thought to have been snatched from a zoo as a quirky festive gift is unlikely to survive until Christmas Day, his keeper warned Tuesday. Toga, a three-month old jackass penguin, was stolen from Amazon World on the Isle of Wight in southern England on Saturday. Zoo manager Kath Bright said the bird, who was taken from a compound where he lived with his parents and four other penguins, would probably die of malnutrition if not urgently returned. "Toga is very, very vulnerable. The penguin is still being fed by his parents and we don't believe it could survive more than five days," she told The Associated Press. "The bird has already been missing for around three days and is likely to be severely dehydrated. If he isn't returned before Thursday he is likely to become so ill that even intensive care treatment won't save him." The brown and white penguin will bite if frightened and refuses to be fed by human hand, Bright said. Toga is too young to have yet had a gender confirmed, but along with tradition, is referred to as a male, she added.. Bright said there was no sign of forced entry to the pen, but said a thief would have been able to climb into the compound and carry Toga away. "We can't understand what may have been going through the thief's head, but we are worried someone decided a penguin would make the perfect Christmas gift," she added. "There has been a lot of attention because of the film 'March of the Penguins.' Perhaps someone saw the film and thought their wife or girlfriend would be thrilled to have one as a present." The French movie was a box-office hit and has been credited with drawing tourists to penguin spotting sites across the world. I really hope they get him back. Lou, Non-German Tom, I'm putting you in charge of search and recovery! Here he is!
CoasterCrazy Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 I hope the penguin is ok and they find him before he gets injured!
CoasterJunkie Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 Ok, why do people have to do something like this....
Hattuchili Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 That is really sad! Why is someone doing that? I hope they get the penguin back, very soon! --Sören
Louise Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 I'm on it Elissa, maybe I could make a photo TR of the search.... Seriously though, people are soooo stupid, how the hell did whoever took him think they would be able to handraise him? I really hope he turns up ok. How the hell did somebody manage to snatch him anyway? I'm not a big zoo fanatic but I thought most of them pretty much kept you well out reach of the animals? I know at Chester there's no way you could reach the penguins by hand, and I think if you had some kind of grabbing thingy you might get noticed.... :?
307 Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 Okay wait a minute He's a three-year old jackass penguin? Now that just makes this doubly bad.
shesaidboom Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 ^^ three month old. I promise it wasn't me who took him!
307 Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 You're not allowed to correct me! More pictures of you will now be posted!
Shockwave Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 Damn, our zoos aren't having a good time lately. They had to shoot a chimp at Flamingoland which escaped last month as well, and now some sicko does this? Well, if I see a penguin about, I know what to do. Some are even made of plasticine and want to steal diamonds, so take care around these critturs! ...and some are even made of plasticine. Penguins come in all shapes in sizes...
Nrthwnd Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 We had "somebody(s)" evil and twisted, shoot up several of the larger birds here in our big park, Stanley Park, a few years back. And they never found and caught the a--holes, either. It was sad and pretty pathetic to think somone got a kick out of doing this horrible thing. I dunno. Sickness and badness comes in so many ways, you really don't know what to think or understand with some of these situations, hmmm? Hope they find Toga soon, safe and sound, and still in good health, too.
DerekRx Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 Maybe he was taken because penguins don't belong in AMAZON WORLD! He was probably taken down the road to AntarcticLand. In all seriousness though, hope the little guy is found alive and is reunited with his family. I bet he'd be found if he was Paris Hilton's pet penguin.
MSLSM Posted December 20, 2005 Posted December 20, 2005 Elissa, I know you like little animals, but you need to know when to stop. What kind of person would stael a baby penguin. This was probably some dumb man who will say" Here, I got you this penguin, but it died. Hopefully you can see the thought I put into this for you." to his wife.
Teddymonster Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 Yeah, I saw that too this morning...that's HORRIBLE! People are so f'ing stupid. Poor Pengooin...
Louise Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 Ok, natural blonde (ahem) that I am, I was thinking he was taken during the day, having read the paper tonight I now know that he was taken during the night (which makes more sense, I was wondering how someone had managed to nab him and not be noticed by other guests), but now this begs the question, shouldn't zoo security be better than this? If someone can get in during the night and steal a baby penguin (and I'm pretty sure the other penguins would've made some kinda noise, right?), what's to stop some drunk teenager from getting in at 3am, being mauled by a lion, and suing the ass off the zoo? :? According to the media, they think the penguin pilferer may have chosen to steal the little guy after seeing that March Of The Penguins movie, apparently "penguin-watching holidays" have had something like a 600% increase in interest since the movie was released. Yeah ok, see something in a movie and instantly go and steal one with no disregard for the creature's safety or wellbeing. Never mind the penguin being a jackass, the person who took it certainly is.
cfc Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 Never mind the penguin being a jackass, the person who took it certainly is. Very well put, Lou.
Teddymonster Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 Never mind the penguin being a jackass, the person who took it certainly is. My clever girl...So witty! 8)
woah_killa Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 Harry Potter did it...if he can release a snake from that zoo...he can get a penguin... Seriously though, I hope the penquin is found...
Louise Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 *bows* Why thank you, thank you, and goodnight. 8)
cfc Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 I did it! I did it, and I'm glad! It was the penguin's eye that drove me to murder! Yes, a pale blue eye with a film over it, like that of a vulture! Here! Tear up the planks! Remove the floorboards! Still the beating of the penguin's hideous heart! Well, all good crimes need a few flase confessions--here's one. Chuck "Random Poe Reference" Campbell
Shockwave Posted December 21, 2005 Posted December 21, 2005 Just saw an update on the news, still no sign of the penguin guys.
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