An Antarctic penguin pauses after its treatment at Wellington Zoo in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday. (AP)WELLINGTON: A young emperor penguin that turned up on a New Zealand beach won't be getting a free ride all the way back to its Antarctic home – but the bird's human friends will at least help it get a little closer. The penguin – affectionately dubbed Happy Feet – drew intense interest after being spotted on North Island's Peka Peka Beach, about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from its natural habitat in Antarctica. The creature's health quickly declined when it began eating sand and sticks, but the bird is beginning to recover. On Wednesday, an advisory group headed by the Department of Conservation decided officials will help the penguin get part of the way home by releasing it into the Southern Ocean, southeast of New Zealand – and letting it swim the rest of the way.
