Drunk British tourists steal penguin from Australian park

Three British tourists have been accused of stealing a penguin from an Australian marine park, during a night of revelry.

The Welsh men – aged 18, 20 and 21 – are set to appear in court on May 2 after allegedly breaking into Sea World on Queensland’s Gold Coast, stripping off to their underwear to swim with the dolphins and making off with the bird.

The men are said to have been reminded of their escapade on waking to find the seven-year-old fairy penguin – named Dirk – in their accommodation.

And they are reported to have released the captive-bred animal into a canal.

The exhausted bird – part of a breeding colony – was discovered by a couple in an estuary the day after he was stolen.

‘They heard a scuffle in the water, and this penguin came out onto the sand,’ said Trevor Long, Sea World’s director of marine sciences.

‘They thought it was very, very unusual, so they got on to their iPhone and googled “lost penguin”. That came up with the story, and from there they were able to contact us.’

The passers-by said they saw Dirk chased out of the water, possibly by a shark, before being chased back in by a dog. He was later rescued by Sea World staff.

The three men were apparently caught by police after posting details about the incident on Facebook.

They have been charged with trespassing, stealing and unlawfully keeping a protected animal.