POLICE ‘arrested’ an escaped penguin waddling down a railway line at Cape Town station. A police spokesperson said it was believed the penguin had escaped from the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds emergency cleaning station in an old railway shed at Salt River where birds contaminated by oil from the sunken ship Treasure are being rehabilitated. “It appears the escapee walked from Salt River to Cape Town along the railway lines. “Once we had him under observation we called for back-up as these individuals are known to lash out with their beaks and can cause serious bodily harm,” the spokesman said. “Back-up arrived with a cardboard box required when arresting a penguin, and we approached him with caution. “The individual tried to flee, but quick action by Sergeant Leon Meeth, who seized the suspect by the back of the neck, put paid to that little lark. The penguin was then placed in a box and into the back of the police vehicle…” A Sanccob spokesperson said that while every precaution was taken to ensure no penguins escaped, with 20000 individuals under care this was a tough task. “We suspect he made a break for it during exercise time, when the penguins are moved from their pens to the swimming pools. “Clearly we need to tighten security or we’ll have hordes of the little perishers setting off on a long waddle to freedom.”