In April and May this year he caught 25 of the predatory intruders. While a Christchurch City Council-built fence now protects his study colony, trapping approaches to the bays is still the only practical way of protecting the wider penguin population on Godley Head. His research into relocation of the birds has revealed that it is possible to move chicks without affecting their chances of survival. Although the chicks get their bearings from the point they head out to sea, a large number of the penguins re-establish in other bays. To build up the Godley Head population, Dr Challies has been transferring chicks from the southern side of the Peninsula to Harris Bay.
Scarred hands are evidence of feisty confrontations.
Although he knows the penguins only by number, he says they vary in their behaviour. They are very individual. Some are more passive, some aggressive. These days Dr Challies always handles the birds with black spotted white gloves. They appear to have got used to me and have lost some of their fright.