Little blue penguin found buried alive under slip

A little blue penguin buried alive by a slip in the Abel Tasman was uncovered by Department of Conservation staff working to clear debris on the coastal track.

• This story was first published by RNZ

Staff were reforming the track last week when they noticed a penguin's head appear out of the mud.

It had been buried by a 20-metre-long slip of mud and vegetation that fell onto the track above Waiharakeke Bay, near Awaroa.

It's thought the bird clambered up the slope above the beach into the vegetation at night and was trapped by a slip during the heavy rainfall that struck Nelson Tasman nearly two weeks ago.

The penguin was checked over by DOC staff and deemed healthy before being released.

The severe weather caused damage to several sections of the Abel Tasman Coast Track.

DOC staff are contacting people with hut and campsite bookings to offer refunds or to change their bookings to another available date.