Lost penguin turns out to be male

Scientists have finally discovered the gender of the emperor penguin nicknamed “Happy Feet,” whose plight has been followed around the world since he was found stranded on a New Zealand beach two weeks ago.

A Wellington Zoo spokeswoman says scientists determined it was male after scraping cells from his feathers for DNA tests.

Male and female emperor penguins outwardly appear identical.

The zoo said the penguin was recovering after four medical procedures to flush sand and debris from his stomach. Happy Feet is now eating more than 4lbs of salmon each day.

Emperor penguins typically live their entire lives in and around Antarctica, making Happy Feet’s discovery in New Zealand unusual.