A penguin in Peru has kept police busy when they were called to a busy road to detain him. The frightened animal was discovered wandering around in the middle of an avenue by Nuevo Chimbote residents in the northern Peruvian region of Ancash, who then called the police.

The animal seemed lost and confused and eyewitnesses described how the penguin was almost run over by a motortaxi and bitten by a dog. When police arrived at the scene the distressed bird tried to escape, pecking at the police officers who eventually managed to wrap it in a jacket. They took the penguin back to the police station where it was fed fish to help regain its strength.

It is unclear how the penguin ended up in the middle of the street but local media speculates it might have fallen off a passing vehicle. A witness explained: "Over there we saw it walking in the lights of the cars. It was in the street. We did not see where he came from."

Local media reports the bird called "Pingui" will be taken to the penguin habitat Vivero Forestal de Chimbote to recover.

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