Stranded penguin moved to NZ zoo over health fears (AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Fears over the health of a young Emperor penguin stranded on a New Zealand beach have prompted officials to move it to a local zoo.

The penguin's rare 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) journey from Antarctica has captured the imagination of many here in the South Pacific and around the world. But veterinarians and conservation officials became concerned enough about the bird that they stepped in Friday.

The penguin, which was first spotted Monday at Peka Peka Beach on New Zealand's North Island, had been eating sand and small sticks of driftwood, which it had tried to regurgitate. The penguin appeared to grow more lethargic as the week progressed, and officials feared it would die if they didn't intervene.

Colin Miskelly, a curator at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, said it made sense that a penguin might mistake sand for Antarctic snow, which Emperors eat for hydration, but he had no explanation for the bird eating wood.

Miskelly was one of three experts who helped lift the penguin from the beach into a tub of ice and then onto the back of a truck. Miskelly said he lifted the bird's rear while the others held its flippers and beak. The bird was docile enough that experts didn't need to sedate it for the 40-mile (65-kilometer) journey to the Wellington Zoo.

Christine Wilton, the local resident who discovered the penguin Monday while walking her dog, was back at the beach Friday to say goodbye.

"I'm so pleased it's going to be looked after," she said. "He needed to get off the beach. He did stand up this morning, but you could tell that he wasn't happy."

Miskelly said experts at the zoo were considering sedating the penguin and putting it on an intravenous drip as they tried to nurse it back to health. Ideally, the bird would heal enough that it could be released into the wild, Miskelly said, noting that there were no facilities in New Zealand designed to house an Emperor penguin long-term.

Zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker said veterinarians would give the bird a full health check. The zoo clinic has a salt water pool which has been used in the past to nurse smaller varieties of penguins, she said.

Often sick birds require rehabilitation for a month or two before being released, Baker said, adding that some creatures with severe injuries remain in captivity.

Experts believe the penguin is about 10 months old. It stands about 32 inches (80 centimeters) high. Experts haven't yet determined whether it is male or female.

Emperor penguins are the tallest and largest species of penguin and can grow up to 4 feet (122 centimeters) high and weigh more than 75 pounds (34 kilograms). They typically spend their entire lives in Antarctica. It has been 44 years since an Emperor penguin was last spotted in New Zealand.

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Woman found in Nevada wilderness moved to Canadian hospital

Rita Chretien was rescued last week after being stranded for 49 days. Authorities are still searching for husband Albert.Rita and her husband Albert Chretien got lost in the Nevada wilderness March 19
She was found on Friday, 49 days later
Her husband is still missing

(CNN) -- The Canadian woman who was rescued last week after being stranded and alone for 49 days in a Nevada wilderness has transferred from an Idaho hospital to one in her home country, a hospital statement said early Wednesday.

Rita Chretien, 56, was transported Tuesday afternoon from St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls to a British Columbia hospital, according to the medical center. She was upgraded to good from fair condition earlier in the day.

"She is enjoying solid foods and had a dinner of salmon, rice and green beans last night," a hospital statement said Tuesday. "This morning she had a breakfast burrito with homemade salsa. A 'bowl of soul' coffee was brought to her from a local coffee house. It included a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and a dollop of whipped cream, which Rita said was delicious."

Doctors said the indicators of her recovery are "very good," the statement said.

Meanwhile, authorities are still searching for her husband, Raymond, who left his wife in their van on March 22 so that he could find help.

Scores of men and women had searched for the Chretiens since the Penticton, British Columbia, residents were last seen March 19 leaving a Shell gas station convenience store in Baker City, Oregon.

On Friday, more than a month later, hunters wandered into the area where the van was sitting.

Rita Chretien shot up from her spot in the 2000 Chevrolet Astro's back seat when she heard them outside, mustered strength to open the door and stepped out shoeless. She waved.

While the odds are dwindling that Albert Chretien will be found alive, authorities haven't ruled it out.

Rita Chretien lived off the little food she had -- beef jerky, some trail mix, fish oil pills and one piece of hard candy per day. She went outside for a walk once a day, using the sunlight to melt snow for drinking water and going to a nearby stream.

She read a few books (some several times) and the Bible and recorded her thoughts in a journal.

The Chretiens were en route to a trade show convention in Las Vegas when they turned off the highway onto a forest service road that led into Nevada, intending to enjoy the "scenic route," her son said, who'd heard the full story from his weakened mother.

The couple took some wrong turns and had thought, based on their map, that their road was better than it was. Pictures released by the sheriff's department show the van in an extremely remote area with no visible roads.

The van was stuck in caked mud, with a shovel pictured near the back of the van, indicating that someone had been trying to free the vehicle from the mud.

CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this story.

CNN

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Prosecutor: Mubarak at risk if moved

Hosni Mubarak has been living in Sharm el-Sheikh since the unrest forced him out of office on February 11.Hosni Mubarak was ordered moved to a military hospital in CairoFormer president's medical team says a move is too riskyAuthorities are investigating Mubarak in deaths of activists during recent uprising in Egypt

Cairo (CNN) -- Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak won't be moved to a military hospital in Cairo because his health has deteriorated and transferring him may be life threatening, the country's prosecutor-general said Tuesday.

Adel Saeed, the prosecutor's spokesman, said the Interior Ministry, which is organizing the move, made the decision after Mubarak's medical team submitted a report that determined he would be at risk if he were transferred.

Mubarak has been under detention at a hospital in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, and Egyptian authorities ordered that he will be transferred to Tora Prison hospital.

Authorities are investigating Mubarak in the deaths of hundreds of activists during the recent uprising in Egypt. He is also being probed on allegations of corruption and misuse of state funds.

The former leader has been living in Sharm el-Sheikh since the unrest forced him out of office on February 11. He entered the hospital because of health problems including heart palpitations and blood pressure issues.

A team of prosecutors questioned Mubarak on Friday about the deaths of the protesters, the prosecutor-general's office said. Mubarak was also questioned about the negotiation of a gas deal with Israel at prices that were allegedly below international standards.

The prosecutor-general's office said that amounted to a waste of public funds.

Mubarak's two sons, Ala and Gamal, are in custody in Cairo, and the prosecutor's office has decided to renew their detentions for another 15 days.

They are being probed for their roles in settling payments of Egypt's debts, commissions for exports of gas to Israel, intervention in issues related to mandatory partnerships in some foreign businesses operating in Egypt, involvement in issues related to privatization of businesses and evaluation and sale of stocks of these companies, the prosecutor said.

CNN's Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report.

CNN

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WikiLeaks Suspect Being Moved to Kansas Base

Associated Press

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U.S. officials say the Army private suspected of giving classified data to WikiLeaks is being moved to a base in the Midwest state of Kansas in the wake of international criticism about his treatment during his detention at a Marine Corps base near Washington.

The officials say an announcement that Army Pfc. Bradley Manning will be moved is expected Wednesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not yet been made public.

Amnesty International has said Manning's treatment may violate his human rights. A committee of Germany's parliament has also protested about his treatment to the White House.

Manning is being held in maximum security in a single-occupancy cell at the Marine base, and he is allowed to wear only a suicide-proof smock to bed each night.

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AP: WikiLeaks Pfc. Manning to be moved to Fort Leavenworth

Following allegations of abuse during his detention in the WikiLeaks case, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is to be transferred from the Quantico, Va., Marine Corps base to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the Associated Press is reporting.

The Pentagon is to formally announce the move Wednesday, officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity told AP.

Manning, 23, is accused of downloading and passing classified military and diplomatic documents and video to WikiLeaks. He has been held in highly restrictive conditions since last May. At Quantico he lives in a single maximum-security cell and can wear only a suicide-proof smock to bed.

Amnesty International has said his treatment may violate his human rights. The group has written to President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

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