Penguin that took a very long journey returned to the wild after successful rehabilitation

After spending the summer gaining weight and building up muscle, a Fiordland penguin was released back into the wild, where Melbourne Zoo officials hope it is able to find a mate.

Fiordland penguins are endemic to New Zealand, and officials said they don't know how this penguin was able to travel 1,500 miles from New Zealand to a river near Melbourne. By the time the penguin was rescued, it had lost a lot of weight and was tired, so veterinarians at the Melbourne Zoo immediately started giving it fluids and vitamins. The penguin gained more weight once it started eating its regular diet, and it was soon swimming around in a pool so it would have the muscles necessary to swim back to New Zealand.

Last month, zoo officials determined that the penguin had regained its strength and was ready to start heading home. The penguin was released off the coast of Melbourne, joining the roughly 5,000 other Fiordland penguins in the wild. Dr. Michael Lynch, the Melbourne Zoo's head of veterinary services, said in a statement he's "hopeful this penguin will find its way back to New Zealand and eventually breed. We've given it every chance to do so." Catherine Garcia

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