Penguin of the Year 2021: Mo's mischief a winner with passionate group of fans

Trickster and perennial bridesmaid Mo has flapped away, in true style, with the Penguin of the Year 2021 award. Photo / Supplied

Mo, the mischievous, fun-loving penguin at the National Aquarium of New Zealand has finally won the Penguin of the Year 2021, after being a finalist for three years.

There were almost 11,000 votes in the 2021 competition, and it was a landslide victory for Mo, who received 69 per cent of the votes.

Mo, 8, was abandoned as a chick, and his trickster nature had previously won him naughty penguin of the month nine times.

He had also been accused of stealing fish at feeding time, without any intention of eating the spoils, and if bumped by a fellow penguin, he has been known to throw himself to the floor, in a World Cup-worthy display of football dramatics.

Mo's first place was followed by Burny in second place and her boyfriend Martin in third.

When the voting for the finals went live, the National Aquarium website received so many visitors it was briefly overwhelmed and required assistance from the tech team to get it back on its feet.

National Aquarium of New Zealand keeper Amy Giddens said Penguin of the Year is a lot of fun, but had a bigger purpose.

"It's a way to help our followers, and people across New Zealand and the world, understand more about the challenges little penguins and other wildlife face, and how we can help protect them," she said.

"Sharing the stories of our little penguins and how they came to live at the National Aquarium creates a greater understanding about what we can all do for their conservation."

Giddens said the penguins arrived at the aquarium as abandoned chicks, victims of attacks from unleashed dogs, injured with partial sight, or after becoming sick in the wild.

"Some are missing flippers due to getting caught in fishing nylon.

"We help sick or injured birds and enable them to return to the wild. Some penguins aren't strong enough to return to their natural habitats, so they find a permanent home with us at Penguin Cove."

The whole little penguin crew at the National Aquarium are held in high esteem by visitors, and their popularity has continued to grow since Penguin of the Month began in June 2017.