Escapee penguin caught after traveling some 30 km in 2-week jaunt

A penguin that escaped after being displayed at an event on a central Japan island was recaptured about 30 kilometers away after two weeks on the loose, according to the event's organizer, Kyodo reports.

The 6-year-old female Cape penguin, a species also known as an African penguin, was caught in good health on Sunday after it escaped on Aug. 25 from the event held on Himaka Island in Aichi Prefecture.

Bred in captivity and having never swum in the open ocean before its summer escapade, the penguin is believed to have traveled more than 40 km along the western coast of the Chita Peninsula, according to Gekidan Penters, the event organizer.

"I'm surprised at the penguin's physical ability and adaptability," said staff member Ryosuke Imai, 29. "We're relieved that she's been found."

The group, which offers lectures and events which allow people to interact with animals around Aichi Prefecture, held the Himaka Island display between July 20 and Aug. 25.

The penguin escaped after being placed in a net in the shallows while staff were packing up nearby. It apparently swam through a hole in its enclosure after being spooked.

A person reported seeing the animal about a week later around the nearby Shino Island, but a search failed to locate it.

The bird was recaptured after being spotted near Shinmaiko Marine Park in Chita, Aichi Prefecture. It approached staff when called by name, the group said.