Natalia, a baby penguin, was scared and trembling in Punta Hermosa Beach in Lima, Peru. Apparently, people were trying to push her back into the water. Carlos of ORCA Peru rescued her and took her in.
Due to how Natalia was treated on the beach, she developed a water phobia. Carlos had never met a penguin scared of swimming, and it was sad and difficult to see her like that.
They needed to teach her how to be in the water to return her to the rookery. Carlos called Peter Gros, a wildlife expert, and asked him for some advice.
Peter said to start training Natalia with a small pool of water and give her fish as a reward. Then as she gets used to it, they need to gradually use a broader and deeper pool.
On the first day, Natalia wasn’t responding well and kept leaving the small pool. She wasn’t eating the fish either, but Peter insisted that it would take a lot of time.
By the 11th day, Natalia was walking into a medium-sized pool all by herself. A few days later, they rescued a second penguin named Rosita, and she quickly became friends with Natalia.
When they felt that the penguins were ready to be released into the ocean, they took a small boat to a protected island close to Lima. They then released Natalia and Rosita back into the wild.
