She thanked the public for calling the Doc hotline last weekend about a yellow-eyed penguin near The Nuggets Rd which appeared sick and injured.
Mrs Pullar said six calls were made in half an hour on Sunday and Doc rangers picked up the bird on Monday morning.
The hoiho penguin was found on the beach between Kaka Point and the Nuggets severely dehydrated and underweight.
"It may have survived maybe another day or two but it was certainly on its way out."
It was an unusual place to find the penguin, as the birds were usually found closer to the Nuggets.
Yellow-eyed penguins typically finished moulting in April and should weigh about 5kg at this stage. The penguin weighed less than 3kg, Mrs Pullar said.
It was unclear why the penguin was in a strange location and why it was in poor condition, though Mrs Pullar suspected it may have struggled to care for its chicks.It was taken to the Penguin Place rehabilitation facility on Otago Peninsula for medical attention.
All going well, it would t be returned to the Catlins once it was healthy again.
● Doc Hotline: 0800-362-468.
