Kairuku

The Kairuku (Ky-roo-koo) is one of the Creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved.

Behavior
The Kairuku can be found on the mainland of the northwestern part of the island, or swimming in the waters surrounding them. They are sparse throughout the eastern shores of the island, often being hunted by dilos. They are passive creatures that will not attack anything. If they are attacked, they will attempt to flee. They can often be seen in small colonies consisting of individuals of various ages.

Appearance
Resembles a typical penguin in all aspects save for their long, pointed beak and wood stork-like head scales. Although clumsy and sluggish on land, they are excellent swimmers.

Drops
The younger the Kairuku is, the more prime meat (0-6) and Organic Polymer it drops. Using a Wooden Club will also increase the yield of Organic Polymer.

KO Strategy
The Kairuku has low health and high torpor, making it very difficult to knock one unconscious without killing it. An engram-quality bow or a Longneck Rifle with Tranquilizer Darts are recommended, as the former deals damage in smaller increments, allowing for easier control, and the latter deals low damage and high torpor. Once attacked, all Kairuku in the area will attempt to flee, but their slow speed makes it easy to keep up with them so long as they do not reach the water.

Combat
This section describes how to fight against the Kairuku.

General
Kairukus are harmless creatures that can be easily killed by any player. They provide great amounts of material for a small fight, so attacking them can be very beneficial to a player of any level.

Strategy
Since it is incapable of fighting back, any battle is purely one-sided in favor of the player. It is possible to take a Kairuku down to tame using tranq arrows, however, the guaranteed way to knock one out is with tranquilizer darts shot from a longneck. Do not try to knock out a Kairuku with another dinosaur for the Kairuku will die very quickly.

Weaponry
Kairukus can be easily killed with bare hands. Anything that does greater damage will simply make the process faster. Often, simply walking over them with a mount that applies crush damage(Rex, Spino, Giga, Bronto, etc.) will kill them, sending their bodies rolling to the side.

Dangers
Fighting Kairukus is not dangerous as they cannot possibly hurt the player. However, due to the cold climate in the Snow Biome, it is recommended to wear Fur Gear while fighting them. Also make sure to not chase them into bigger dinosaurs that are dangerous, like Sabertooths or a pack of Direwolves. Its biggest threat however is the fact that if you kill it you have to live with the soul crushing guilt of having done so.

Weakness
Kairukus are slow, have low health and don't fight back.

Roles

 * Organic Polymer: Killing and harvesting a Kairuku will produce organic polymer. Surprisingly, the best tools for this are the Wooden Club and Chainsaw (Scorched Earth). Having a male and female Kairuku results in the ability to breed them, producing a baby that can be killed and harvested for polymer and also prime meat, which is cruel but effective.
 * Storage Container: Kairukus make great storage boxes for any light weight materials like fiber or hide. Pretty much anything you will have a huge quantity of stacks and don't want to make multiple containers for.  They can sit on top of your smithy for easy access (Level weight). Kairukus make especially better storage boxes compared to other small dinos for two main reasons: their diet is one of the easiest to satisfy (a nearby trough with any meat) and they provide an insulation bonus to cold when you are close to them making any cold base locations more manageable without having to actively do anything.
 * Water Combat: While helpless on land, a swarm of trained Kairuku can be quite an effective escort underwater. A dozen or more set to follow a player and defend them can take out any sea creature due to their agility and speed underwater. Most effective when their melee, speed, and stamina are leveled up. The swarm movement is truly beautiful to watch. You will need to be a conscientious shepherd as individuals can get stuck in rock formations or in coastal areas.
 * Egg Farm: Kairuku can make a good egg farm for smaller creatures if you do not wish too waste greater kibble on such creatures.
 * Pet: Due to their cuteness, they are definitely a survivor's favorite.

Passive Abilities

 * Insulation - Standing next to a Kairuku provides 26 Cold.pnghermic insulation, which decreases based on your distance from it, up to about 1 foundation horizontally or 1 wall vertically. Standing next to multiple Kairuku will compound the effect.

Notes/Trivia

 * Dossier revealed on 9/14/15 on Steam.
 * Kairuku's genus name means "diver who returns with food" in Māori.
 * The Kairuku is the first creature in the game to have babies in the wild.
 * Kairuku can be picked up by anything that has the ability to carry(baby, juvenile, adolescent and adult).
 * The Dossier states that hunting Kairukus is a practice called "Kairu Clubbing." This is most likely a satirical reference to seal clubbing (which is the hunting of seals for their pelts and blubber without them putting up a fight), because both animals are small, blubberous, and found in cold climates.
 * K. waitaki is the same name as the type species of genus Kairuku. All other animals in the game share only the generic name with their real-life counterparts.
 * Since the v241, The best way to move them is to pick them up in your hands and toss them, but you can't hold a tool or weapons while doing so.
 * If you do tame a Adolescent or younger wild Kairuku (likely through the use of or ForceTame), you won't be able to imprint on them when the timer finishes.
 * Kairuku are able to wear helmets like the and
 * Will Wear the Flak Helmet on a backwards Pitch due to the face mask on the helmet.
 * Real world penguins breathe air and hold their breath underwater, but Ark's Kairuku don't use oxygen.