Little blue penguins caught wandering Wellington central, again

A pair of pesky penguins caught trying to take a nap in central Wellington on Friday have been returned home safely.

Growing numbers of little blue penguins have wandered into the city centre recently, as they look for nesting sites to breed.

A passerby contacted the Department of Conservation (DoC), and the SPCA scooped up the pair just after midnight.

They spent the rest of the night in a cardboard box at Wellington Railway Station and were returned to the harbour on Saturday morning.

It's not known if they are the same two penguins which tried to nest underneath a sushi stall at the train station in July.

A DoC spokesperson said the pair were looking for a place to nap, and likely tried to bed down under a parked car.

Motorists are warned to drive carefully near the waterfront, as penguins increasingly cross roads in search of burrows.

Newshub.