A fugitive penguin that's been on the run for 82 days has finally been caught by police and returned to the Tokyo Sea Life Park from which it escaped.

The one year old penguin, who does not have a name but is simply No.337, no longer wanted to be a prisoner at the park and scaled a four metre rock face in order to escape back in March.

But the game was up after reports came in that the Penguin was spotted along the Edogawa river, and police quickly reacted to make their move.

Deputy Director of the Sea life Park, Kazuhiro Sakamoto, spoke of how they managed to capture the elusive animal.

"We successfully caught the penguin who was at the river bank at five-thirty with our bare hands."

Concerned keeper Tatsuya Yamamoto, stated that No.337 was in good condition.

"It is healthy and looks good. We weighed it just now and its weight was about the same as other healthy penguins. We just have to wait for it to calm down now."

Not the sharpest of animals, it was only after being captured that the penguin realised that its days of freedom were over.

"At the point when we caught it, the penguin didn't realise what was happening and did not really threaten or attack us. As time passed and it grasped the situation it was in, it started threatening and became agitated."

The penguin's health will now be monitored before it's displayed again to the public. It remains to be seen if No.337 will toe the line, or attempt escape again now that's he's developed a taste for freedom.