Motorists warned to watch out for blue penguins hiding under Wellington sushi shop

July 15, 2019

The exact location of the kororā is being kept a secret to keep them safe.

Motorists in Wellington's CBD are being warned about some very vulnerable pedestrians after a number of blue penguins made their home under a sushi shop.

It's feared the penguins could try to make a dash across a busy nearby road.

The Department of Conservation aren't sure how the penguins got there, but travelling along freshwater pipes in the area is one of the top guesses.

The penguins are thought to have been attracted to the sushi shop by the smell of fresh fish and the owner of the store has been luring them out from underneath with salmon so DOC can capture them.

DOC says they have made a temporary home under the shop to shelter from predators.

The penguins have been safely extracted for now and will be relocated back to their natural habitat nearby.

However, the smells emanating from the sushi shop (which is being kept a secret to keep the animals safe) may mean the owner hasn't seen the last of his feathered customers just yet.

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