A Friendship Between A Man And A Penguin

Joao with the penguin he rescued.

It all started in 2011 when a young oil-soaked penguin washed ashore on a sand beach in Rio de Janeiro State, in the village of Proveta, Brazil. That's when retired bricklayer, Joao Pereira de Souza happened upon the young bird. He took the bird home, cleaned him up, fed him, and nurtured him, until his young friend became stronger. Then he returned back to the beach, with a much-stronger penguin, to release him back into the wild. Only, the bird, now named Jingjing, had other ideas. Joao even took the penguin out in his boat, far from the land, and released him, only to return home - and there was Jingjing, having beaten him home.



Now, Magellanic penguins spend their lives migrating thousands of miles between their breeding grounds in Patagonia and their northern feeding grounds. The beaches around Rio de Janeiro are frequently a little too warm, unless there is a colder current mixing into the waters. But even that hasn't been a deterrent to Jingjing. He seems to be more adjusted to the warmer climate.

Jingjing does wander off these days to who-knows-where, but he always returns to Joao's home on the beach. According to Mr. de Souza, "When he returns, he's so happy to see me. He comes up to my neck and hoots." Joao estimates that Jingjing spends about eight months out of every year as a guest at his friend's beach house. Then he'll disappear for days. weeks, or months at a time, but he always returns.

Jingjing has even become something of a favorite among locals, too. Carlos Eduardo Arantes, the community administrator, said, "He's the village mascot." According to Mario Castro, a local fisherman, "It spends 10, 12, 15 days away and then comes back to the same house. It's an incredible thing, huh?"

The beach at the village of Proveta, where Jingjing washed ashore.

So, if you happen to be vacationing near the village of Proveta, you might notice a senior man taking a stroll on the beach. But take a look a little more closely and you'll notice that he has a little companion dressed in a tuxedo, strolling with the man, engaged in one of the pair's favorite activities. If you stick around you might see them taking a swim together. It's a bond between man and bird; it's a friendship made from a life-saving act. Is Jingjing grateful for his rescue? Who knows? But he's formed a very special bond with one very special man.

Joao and Jingjing.

Thanks to this article from the Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/beached-in-brazil-a-young-penguin-finds-his-human-soul-mate-1445560828.

Click here to view more details