Somebody stole penguin from zoo, German police say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Humboldt penguin at the Luisenpark in 2011. (REUTERS/Alex Domanski, File)
A bird-napper could be on the loose with some very valuable cargo.
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Somebody apparently snatched a Humboldt penguin from its cage at a zoo in southwestern Germany, police concluded Monday, warning the bird could easily die if it's not returned soon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Zookeepers at the Luisenpark in Mannheim noticed the penguin missing during a routine count Saturday of the South American birds -- about 20 in all, Deutsche Welle reported.
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After a search of the grounds, zoo personnel found no signs that the flight-less penguin escaped or was attacked by another animal -- so police said it was stolen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We hope that the perpetrator's common sense prevails and that he quickly gives back the penguin," a police spokesman told the news agency.
Still, cops said the penguin had some identifying characteristics that could give it away. The bird had a chip implanted in its body and a number 53 on its wing.
The bird measured about 20 inches tall and weighed roughly 11 pounds, according to zookeepers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Zookeepers were pleading for the return of the bird, saying that without its special diet and controlled environment it may not survive.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.