Melb Zoo's one-flippered penguin now a dad

A little penguin with only one flipper is lucky to be alive, let alone become a father.

New dad Nauj has spent the past two years learning how to swim again after Melbourne Zoo staff recused him from near St Kilda Pier, missing a flipper.

"When he was brought in we realised he didn't have a wing ... it was completely sheered off on one side," Melbourne Zoo wild sea keeper Beth Geraldine said on Tuesday.

While Nauj has since learnt how to swim and dive, he couldn't survive in the wild.

"He is able to come and feed from us at the bucket," Ms Geraldine said.

"If he were in the wild he would have to swim very quickly and very deep to chase those prey items, and having one wing he wouldn't be able to do that."

But with the support of zookeepers, life is looking good for Nauj - and he's even pulling his weight and sharing duties with his female partner looking after their chick.

"As time's progressed, we've seen him do a lot more feeding of the chick. He's eating 20 to 30 fish a day and he's a lot more attentive," Ms Geraldine said.

The as-yet unnamed youngster and his father are both on show at the zoo.