Jeff Mein Smith saw the tiny blue penguin on the beach in New Zealand as he was riding his bicycle down the beach in Christchurch. But he wasn’t the only one that had noticed the baby bird. Sadly, the little guy wasn’t able to communicate with the people watching him and the crowd that had gathered around weren’t all respectful of the baby’s personal space. Some had even allowed their dogs to get too close to him.

That’s when some kind strangers decided to lend the little guy a helping hand. They placed a sign next to him that read, “I’m waiting for my mum to come back. The DOC (New Zealand’s Department of Conservation) knows I’m here. Please leave me alone. Keep your dog away. Thanks, Billy the baby blue penguin.”

Remarkably, Billy stayed right next to the sign. It was as if he understood what the sign said and he wanted people to know how to care for him. Wildlife officials deemed Billy to be just two months old. While he might have been waiting for his mum to return, wildlife officials decided that Billy was likely too old to be dependent on his mum due to his age. The next day, he was still standing by the sign so they decided to take action.

It turns out that it was a good thing they did too. Although blue penguins are the smallest type of penguin on earth, little Billy only weighed 550 grams, some 350 grams shy of what he should have been at his age.

The Christchurch Penguin Rehabilitation took him in and started feeding him to get his weight up to normal. They hope he will be able to return to the wild on his own in a few weeks.

Although Billy hasn’t been able to thank his rescuers, we’re sure he appreciates the kindness of the strangers who made the sign for him as well as those who took him in to help make him healthy again.

Isn’t Billy just the most adorable little guy you’ve ever seen? Makes me want a penguin for a pet. Be sure to share Billy’s story with your family and friends. I’m sure they’ll love him too.