Humboldt Penguin, Tokyo
The zookeepers at Tokyo Sea Life Park might have been a bit baffled when they received an emailed photo on Mar. 4 of one of their Humboldt penguins swimming in a river nearby. Upon counting their chicks, they discovered they were indeed one short of the 135 that usually roam the exhibit. The missing one-year-old penguin had somehow managed to scale a rock wall nearly twice its height (remember, penguins can't fly) and chart a course around Tokyo Bay. After it was spotted by a director of another zoo nearby, who sent the photo, a widespread recovery mission commenced to find the tuxedoed fugitive. But zoo officials discouraged untrained locals from attempting to catch the speedy swimmer and plan to recapture the bird when it returns to land to sleep.