Happy Feet sculpture for Kapiti mall

A $10,000 sculpture of the penguin who captured the hearts of Wellingtonians is to be installed in Kapiti.

Marine life sculpture Sue Dorrington has been slaving over 30 kilos of clay crafting a life-size replica of Happy Feet, the Antarctic Emperor penguin which gained world-wide fame when he became stranded on Peka Peka beach on the Kapiti Coast in June.

Ms Dorrington has been working with Wellington Zoo veterinarian nurse Sara Holleman who tended Happy Feet during his recuperation to capture the texture of Happy Feet's feather, skin and pose.

A mould and casting will be prepared by artist Rob Uivel of Human Dynamo Workshop, from which the final piece will be produced in reinforced plastic resin. This is expected to take at least two days the painting will begin.

Commissioned by Coastlands, the final sculpture of the penguin which attracted so many people to the region will become a mascot for the new Coastlands Aquatic Centre.

The finished sculpture will be unveiled at Coastlands Shopping Mall on Saturday, November 5.

Happy Feet was dropped into the Southern Ocean in mid September after being taken south by the research vessel Tangaroa. Soon afterwards the transmitter he was wearing stopped transmitting.

The satellite tracking company said it was possible he have been eaten by a bigger animal, or the transmitter had fallen off.

Wellington Zoo vet Lisa Argilla cared for the emperor penguin for two months before he was released.