MELBOURNE, Australia — A Emperor penguin found malnourished far from home in Antarctica on Australia’s south coast is being looked after by a wildlife expert, a government department announced on Monday.

The adult male was found on November 1 at a popular tourist beach in the town of Denmark in temperate southwest Australia, about 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) north of the icy waters of the Antarctic coast , according to a statement from the State of Western Australia. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

The largest penguin species has never been recorded in Australia before, said Belinda Cannell, a researcher at the University of Western Australia, although some have reached New Zealand, almost all of which is further south than Western Australia.

Cannell said she had no idea why the penguin had traveled to Denmark.

Cannell advises seabird rehabilitator Carol Biddulph, who is caring for the penguin, by spraying him with a mist of icy water to help him cope with his alien climate. The penguin is 1 meter (39 inches) tall and initially weighed 23 kilograms (51 pounds).

A healthy man can weigh more than 45 kilograms (100 pounds).

The department said its efforts were focused on rehabilitating the penguin. When asked if the penguin could potentially be returned to Antarctica, the department said “options are still being developed.”