Second penguin operation a success

An x-ray of the Emperor penguin showed sand in the stomach. Photo / Supplied

A groggy emperor penguin has survived a second operation to remove sand from its stomach.

The penguin, nick-named Happy Feet, was taken from the Kapiti Coast to Wellington Zoo yesterday after it started eating sand.

Wellington Zoo marketing and communications Kate Baker says it looks like the stomach-flushing has been successful.

She says up to 100 people gathered to watch the procedure.

"They were fascinated, they were lining up half an hour before it started to make sure they got good seats," says Ms Baker.

A tube was today put inside the penguin's stomach and water pumped in, to help it regurgitate the sand.

Yesterday they cleared the sand out of the penguin's oesophagus.

"It has passed some sand over night, which is also a good sign - it means that some of the sand is starting to be worked out through its digestive system," Ms Baker said.

Staff are now waiting for the results of an x-ray to see if there's still sand in the penguin's stomach.

The zoo was also awaiting blood test results, which would help identify any other infections or bacteria, Ms Baker said.

Penguins usually ate snow for hydration and to keep cool, and experts believed it had eaten the sand as it was confused about where it was.

The emperor penguin, whose gender was not known, swam about 3200km from its Antarctic home to Peka Peka beach, about 60km north of Wellington. The only previous recording of an emperor penguin in New Zealand was at Southland's Oreti Beach in 1967.