Love at First Sight

Dorothy and Keith Longden first encountered the Little Penguins on Granite Island in 2002, as volunteers for the Parks and Wildlife Department. Before long it became obvious to them that, despite the island being an important breeding colony, many sick or injured penguins were needlessly dying because there was nowhere for them to be looked after.

They opened the Penguin Centre in 2003 and have since nursed hundreds of Little Penguins back to health. Dorothy is the main carer, with Keith and two other helpers providing much needed support. Every day, the penguins must be fed, injuries checked and medication administered. There is also a great deal of maintenance work that has to done; such as cleaning out the pond, scrubbing the rocks and burrows and general gardening duties.

Thankfully most of the penguins do recover sufficiently to be released back into the wild but for those with injuries that prevent this from happening, Dorothy ensures they get thoroughly spoilt.

With no government funding, the Penguin Centre is run on the generosity of its four volunteers, admission fees and public donations.

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so via the Adopt a Penguin scheme.