At Adelaide Zoo, 41 little penguins waddle, splash and chatter in their coastal-inspired habitat. It is the largest colony we have had in years. Among them is one tiny bird with an extraordinary story and a very big personality: Dory.
Dory first arrived in 2020 after being rescued at Second Valley with a severe head injury. A member of the public brought her to our Animal Health Centre, where a CT scan revealed she was fully blind in her right eye and partially blind in her left. It was clear she could never survive in the wild.
“She needed special care,” says Penguin Keeper Meg. “At first we had to hand feed her while wrapped in what we called a ‘penguin burrito’, a little towel that kept her safe and calm. Slowly, we built her confidence until she could feed with minimal help and eventually, no restraint at all.”
Once Dory joined the colony, her quirks quickly captured the hearts of her keepers. She loves to sit on shoes after meals, does little circles when tracking her fish, and can often be found in the pond blowing bubbles. While this is a natural behaviour for clearing salt from their nostrils, in Dory’s case it often seems just for fun.
Despite her disability, Dory has become a key part of Adelaide Zoo’s little penguin breeding program. She bonded with her mate Kipper in 2023 and, last year, the pair welcomed their first chick, Diplodocus. “Diplodocus has definitely inherited some of his mum’s quirks,” laughs Meg. “He does the same little circles and is always late to feeds.”
While little penguins are currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, the majority of their population is concentrated on Phillip Island in Victoria. If a natural disaster were to strike that area, the species could become vulnerable almost overnight. That is why Adelaide Zoo’s colony plays an important conservation role, maintaining a healthy, genetically diverse insurance population to safeguard the species if ever needed.
Team Supervisor of Birds and Free Flight Erin K says Dory’s journey is a perfect example of the zoo’s mission in action.
“Dory came to us unable to return to the wild,” Erin says. “Now she’s not only thriving, she’s helping to secure the future of her species. Watching her raise a chick is an incredible full-circle moment for the team.”
Today, visitors can often spot Dory in her pond, spinning in circles or blowing bubbles. She is a small penguin with an extraordinary story, and a reminder of the big impact that even the tiniest animals can have on conservation.
