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Following a period of \"temporary detainment,\" Wellington Police contacted New Zealand's chief governmental wildlife body, the Department of Conservation (DOC), and the penguins have now been taken into their care.

\"PHOTO:
Wellington District Police
PHOTO: According to the Wellington District Police penguins were removed from a sushi stand on July 13, 2019.
>

\"Wellington's little blue penguins with a taste for sushi have been moved to a nesting box,\" the DOC posted on Twitter Tuesday. \"Our rangers report that they seemed to like it and were making cooing noises which is a good sign.\"

Wellington's little blue penguins with a taste for sushi have been moved to a nesting box. Our rangers report that they seemed to like it and were making cooing noises which is a good sign. https://t.co/klEHOa1FiF

— Department of Conservation (@docgovtnz) July 16, 2019

Remarkably, the sushi-seeking penguins apprehended last weekend were not the first food-related penguin call Zhu received this week. Police received another call regarding a penguin taking refuge in a food stand near Wellington Rail Station Monday morning.

After \"sensing something fishy,\" according to Wellington Police, Zhu discovered the nesting penguins. They were then released back into Wellington Harbour, with the assistance of the DOC and Wellington Zoo.

Little blue penguins, known locally as korora, are a protected species in New Zealand. Adult little blue penguins weigh around 2.2 pounds and grow to an average height of about 11.8 inches. Although they are spread widely along the New Zealand coast line, the population is declining and they are rarely seen during the daytime.

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