Quite a few years ago, I worked with a young man who went to Australia on a two-week vacation. When he came back, he quit his job, sold his condo, packed his bags, and returned to Australia for good. That’s how completely he fell in love with it. We would hear from him periodically, and he never regretted that move. Since that time, I have wanted to visit Down Under to see what attracted him so quickly and completely.

Unfortunately, that opportunity has eluded me. But I think I now know why Australia has always seemed so appealing to me . . . I mean, aside from its beautiful scenery, friendly people, magnificent Sydney Opera House, and a truly quirky jargon.

It’s the fauna.

Seriously, what could be cuter than . . .

Unless it’s this little fella:

And there are the wombat, the quokka, the platypus, and a whole slew of other oddly-named (and, to be fair, odd-looking) critters.

But if I were to come home to find a furry stranger hanging out in my bedroom, I would want it to be a relative of the one encountered by Brunno and Fran Rufino in their home in Adelaide on Wednesday:

Mrs. Rufino, who is originally from Brazil, posted about the event on Instagram, saying, “I was scared, happy and excited at the same time. I was so nervous that I forgot my English. Only in Australia.” [Isaac Yee and Chris Lau, CNN, November 14, 2024.]

The couple surmised that the sweet little fur baby had found its way into the house through the pet door, and then couldn’t locate the exit. So Mr. Rufino took a blanket and gently nudged the intruder toward a door, where it happily took off for its natural habitat. That, of course, was exactly the right thing to do . . . but I would have been hard put to let it go without first moving in for a big hug. From the koala, of course.

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And then there’s the mysterious visitor — not from another planet, but from another continent — who waddled ashore earlier this month at Ocean Beach on Australia’s western coast. Definitely lost, and looking totally bewildered, it was a seriously underweight emperor penguin — the first ever recorded to have made the 2,000-mile swim from its Antarctic home. [Chris Oberholtz, Fox Weather, November 13, 2024.]

Even little Mumble of “Happy Feet” fame never dreamed of doing that!

The visitor to Australia was, of course, an adult, weighing only about half his normal weight. Government wildlife officials took charge and removed him to the care of a local seabird rehabilitator, Carol Biddulph, who said:

“Never in my wildest thoughts would I thought I’d ever have an emperor penguin to care for. It’s just amazing. It’s just such a privilege to be part of this bird’s journey.” [Id.]

The bird’s rehabilitation is being aided by veterinarians and wildlife experts from the University of Western Australia, and consideration is being given to the possibility of returning him to Antarctica. In the meantime, since the climate in that part of Australia is significantly warmer than in Antarctica (isn’t that true almost everywhere?), they’re helping him adjust by misting him regularly with chilled water.

The mystery of the emperor’s epic journey will probably never be solved, though it is believed that strong ocean currents most likely swept him off course. [Id.] Since penguins’ yearly rituals are so ingrained, I worry that he will be lonely and befuddled until they do get him home.

But I would so love to have been there to welcome him ashore.

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Though the unscheduled appearance of an emperor penguin is undoubtedly a one-time event, the uniqueness of the occasion — and the odds against it ever happening at all — speak to the character of the continent itself. As Fran Rufino said about her koala adventure:

“Only in Australia.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/15/24