'Happy Feet' penguin to return to Antarctic after New Zealand holiday

Happy Feet was found wandering on Peka Peka Beach in New Zealand. Photo: Getty

It's a happy end to what could have been a sad tale, as an emperor penguin that got lost and took a 3,000 mile detour to New Zealand is set to return home to the Antarctic.

The penguin, nicknamed Happy Feet, will leave the country on 29 August on a research boat, and will be released after four days at sea, at a latitude of 53 degrees south, according to the Mirror.

The lonely penguin was found wandering around on Peka Peka Beach, 40 miles from Wellington, thousands of miles from his Antarctic home.

He was taken to Wellington Zoo, but became sick after eating sand.

He's now back to full health, and his progress will be monitored by a GPS tracking device.

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