Gus the penguin makes a mysterious journey alone on a famous Australian beach

An emperor penguin found malnourished far from its Antarctic home on Australia's southern coast is being cared for by a wildlife specialist, a government department said on Monday.

The old man was found on November 1 on a popular tourist beach in the city of Denmark in the temperate region of southwestern Australia – about 3,500 kilometers north of the icy waters off the Antarctic coast, according to a statement from the Western Australian State Department of Environment, Conservation and Attractions.

The largest penguin species has not been reported in Australia before, University of Western Australia research colleague Belinda Cannell said, although some have arrived in New Zealand, almost all are further south than Western Australia.

Cannell said he did not know why the penguin went to Denmark. Cannell advises seabird conservationist Carol Biddulph, who cares for the penguin, to spray it with cold water mist to help it cope with its unusual weather.

The penguin is one meter tall and originally weighed 23 kilograms. A healthy male can weigh more than 45 pounds.

The department said its efforts are focused on penguin rehabilitation.

Asked whether the penguin could be returned to Antarctica, the department replied that “the options are still being worked out.”